


100 Little Looks

by KnightsofEclipse



Category: NCIS
Genre: Gen, I might as well tag the whole cast, Kate lives sometimes, Multi, lots and lots of characters, oneshots, rarepairs and popular ships alike, some aus some canon-compliant
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-11-08
Updated: 2017-12-12
Packaged: 2019-01-30 22:51:13
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 43
Words: 44,350
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12663063
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/KnightsofEclipse/pseuds/KnightsofEclipse
Summary: 100 oneshots about our favourite NCIS team. Taken from the 100 themes challenge writing prompts. Spoiler alert; it didn't make it to 100, it didn't even make it to 50. DISCONTINUED





	1. Introductions

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Abby is having an inner turmoil, she can't figure out how to introduce herself to her new club but is that all that's bothering her? What is our resident perky goth hiding behind her superficial dilemma?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The first theme was Introductions. We all hate introductions. This got weird.  
> Featured Character: Abby Scuito

Abby tapped her pencil against her chin, trying her best to focus on the screen. Her other hand hung lazily over her knees, not having the drive to rest on the keyboard where it should be. She looked over her array of sticky notes again, still finding nothing to help her case. She sighed and tossed the pencil down among the others she had discarded. 

The whoosh of air from her door signaled the arrival of the special agents that made up Team Gibbs, also known as her very best friends. She spun around in her seat to see everyone expect the aforementioned team leader. “Where’s Gibbs?” She didn’t want to sound too worried, even though the relaxed look on Tony’s face told her that everything was fine.

“He’s with the director,” McGee confirmed. He cast his gaze over the collection of pencils scattered around the forensic scientist’s feet. “Did…did something happen?” he asked as he bent down to begin to collect the writing devices.

“No,” she sighed, crouching as best she could in her skirt to help him. “And that’s the problem.” She deposited the pencils she had collected back onto her desk and stood back up, McGee following suit. “My pastor signed me up for this games club. We play board games or paint ball or that sort of thing. It’s really great and all but for this week’s meeting we have to introduce ourselves.” She flopped back down into her stool.

“Well, maybe we can help,” Ziva offered, coming up on Abby’s other side. “What have you got so far?” She looked from one computer screen to the next, finding them all blank of any sort of introductory speech. 

Abby sighed again and waved her hand over the sticky notes stuck to ever other surface of the desk. “I just don’t know what I’m supposed to tell them and what can be left out.” She cast her pleading eyes over her friends. “Maybe if we play a game I’ll be able to figure it out.” She waited until she had nods from everyone. “Great! I want everyone to introduce themselves as if we’ve never met before.”

All eyes went to Tony, indicating that his silence thus far had inadvertently volunteered him to go first. He gave a quick nervous chuckle before smiling and offering a charming intro. “Well, my name is Anthony DiNozzo. Most people call me Tony. I love movies and cars. My ideal woman is tall, dark and mysterious.” He began pacing and tapping his chin. “I would never get into a relationship with a co-worker unless it was for a job.” Ziva raised her eyebrow at that. “And despite how it may seem, I actually respect the women I mercilessly hit on.” He gave a one hundred dollar smile. “How was that?”

“Fine.” Ziva brushed a strand of hair from her face. “But you left out all the truthful parts.” She turned to face Abby in order to deliver hers. “My name is Ziva David. I am a liaison officer from Mossad. I sometimes get confused on English idioms and may be a bit quick tempered. My friends mean more to me than my own flesh and blood and if you ever threaten or put one of them in danger then I will not hesitate to beat you to death with your own arm.” She reclaimed her smile, trying to brush off how dark that had gotten. “Your turn, McGee.”

McGee blinked, still stunned by Ziva’s confession. He swallowed hard and tried his best to address Abby. “Well, um, my name is Timothy McGee but, um, most people just call me, well, McGee. I’m a computer scientist and novelist. I’m, well, I’m insecure about who I am and where I stand with the people I care about so I, um, well, I write about them in an idealized way to try and convey how highly I view them. I wish people took me more seriously and, well, I kind of wish they gave me the same respect I give them.” He looked back to try and catch Ziva and Tony’s reactions, both were stony faced. He redirected himself back to Abby. “Was that okay?”

Abby gave him a sympathetic smile and leapt up to hug him. “Aw! McGee! We do respect you! We love you. This team wouldn’t be the same without you.” She hugged him tighter, rocking slightly back and forth in the same way she would when she got excited. 

Ziva raised an eyebrow at the time the hug lasted, causing the two to break apart and look away awkwardly. “Abby, I believe now that you have our examples it’s your turn.”

Tony took a couple steps forward and draped his arm over Ziva’s shoulders. “Yeah, come on, Abbs. We all introduced ourselves,” he paused, as if contemplating his next words. “And admitted something we probably shouldn’t have.” Ziva’s elbow jolted back just as Tony stepped out of range.

Abby dawned a frustrated look before moving around her desk to pace before the plasma. “But I still don’t know what to say! How am I supposed to explain who I am to people I don’t know. It’s different here, were we can correct each other. But out there, if I get something wrong then no one will know and I’ll have no way of fixing it.” She started throwing her hands about as she spoke. “How am I supposed to tell them all that I’m Abby Scuito. I work in a forensics lab for NCIS. That I may look like the dark and downer type but it’s really just that I like to wear black and skulls and think death is fascinating. How am I supposed to tell them that I have a hippo named Bert who farts when you squeeze him and that he makes me feel better when I’m sad? Or that my bosses are like the sort of normal parents that I always wanted. Not that I don’t love my parents. Because I do. But Gibbs and Director Sheppard are like the best parents ever and I wish I could tell them but then I’d have to explain that I think of them as my mom and dad and they would never go for that.” She took a couple breaths, looking like she might go into a panic attack.

Ziva and McGee both caught the lab rat’s arms and guided her back to her stool. Tony had his arms across his chest and was tapping his forehead as if trying to solve an equation. “Abby, is that what this is all about? It had nothing to do with not knowing how to introduce yourself, it was all about thinking of Gibbs as your dad?”

Abby looked up, a guilty look plastered all over her face. She was about to say something when she noticed her door was open. Standing in the doorway were Director Sheppard and Gibbs. She made move to clamp her mouth shut again but Gibbs gave her a reassuring nod and raised a Caf-Pow as motivation. “Not just my dad. All of us. Gibbs is the dad, Director Sheppard is the mom. Tony, you’re the immature oldest son. Kate was daddy’s little girl. Ziva is Gibbs’ rebellious teenage daughter. McGee is the awkward son who just wants to make dad proud but also doesn’t want his big brother to pick on him. And I’m the odd one out. I know I’m Gibbs’ little girl but I know he doesn’t see me as a helpless child who needs to be taken care of. But I’m also not a “problem child” like Ziva, no offense. But I’m not an adult, either. I know he loves me, just don’t know where I fit in this family. Gibbs, you gotta tell me!” She threw her arms down and stomped her feet before pushing past her friends to stand before the silver fox.

He handed her the Caf-Pow and smiled one of his knowing smiles. “Well, Abby, I would have to say that you’re not a little girl. But I don’t think you give yourself enough credit, either. You are a strong woman who inspires me to work harder every day. In a lot of ways,” he reached over and wrapped his arm around Jenny, “you remind me of your mother.”

The smile that spread across Abby’s face should have split her in two. The joy that exploded out of her as she hugged her surrogate parents should have been enough to make the world all sun shine and rainbows. And the tears that rolled down her cheeks from her joy were enough to make her words completely unintelligible. Everyone shared a laugh at how happy the tiny goth girl was as they left the lab and piled into the elevator. “Just one thing, Abby.” Jenny spoke up. She leaned forward to speak directly into the group. “Just where does Ducky fit into this little family of ours?”

Abby thought for a minute before triumphantly pointing her finger high in the air. “We’ll just have to _introduce_ him,” she giggled.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I can't promise any of the others are less awkward


	2. Complication

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sent on a late night stake out with Ziva, Tony is worried about his relationship with Jeanne Benoit. Can he open up to his partner or will he just have to carry the weight of his dilemma on his own?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The theme is Complication.  
> Featured Character(s): Tony DiNozzo and Ziva David

Ziva hated late nights. It wasn’t that she didn’t enjoy what she did, she just didn’t enjoy doing it when it cut into her sleep schedule. Much like tonight was. She shifted around restlessly in the passenger seat of the dark coloured car, bringing the binoculars up to her face to see nothing.

In the driver’s seat, Tony was flipping through a magazine. He paid no attention to how restless his partner was nor to their mission at hand. “Perfect ten,” he said, giving his head a good nod at the girl featured in the two page column apparently detailing her life or work. 

Ziva scoffed, bringing the binoculars back down. “Maybe if you were actually paying attention instead of hawking at that magazine-”

“The term is gawking, Ziva,” Tony corrected, closing the laminated pages and sitting it down on his lap. “And trust me, we’re gonna be here all night whether we find anything or not. That’s just how these things work.” He sounded irritated, as if he had sat on something thorny.

Ziva reached over and took the offending material from its resting place and started paging through it. “Well, we had better find something soon.” She tried her best to stifle a yawn as she passed by the article Tony had been reading. “How can anyone read this?” Another yawn permeated her speech. “It is so superficial and boring.” 

Tony snatched the magazine back and tossed it into the back seat. “Then what do you suggest we do, Ziva? There has to be something you’d rather be doing.”

“Yes, there is! Sleeping!” she announced, unbuckling her seatbelt and rolling away from him. With her back to her partner, she folded her arms up under her head and closed her eyes. “Wake me if anything happens.”

“Or if Gibbs decides to check in on us,” Tony grumbled, sinking down in his seat. He waited a couple minutes before Ziva’s breathing had evened out enough for him to believe she was actually sleeping. He sat back up straight, unbuckling himself and lifting up so he could see his partner’s face. 

She had a peaceful expression, like she was having a sweet dream and nothing in the world could hurt her. He smiled and shrugged out of his jacket. When it was off, he carefully draped it over her shoulders. ‘At least one of us can be comfortable,’ he thought, watching her with the same gaze he saved for Jeanne. He shook off the thought that he may see Ziva that way and pulled out his cell phone.

A few careful clicks and the sound and flash were turned off. He stretched up again and snapped a picture of Ziva’s sleeping face. “Now I have some leverage,” he said, as if he were talking to McGee, casually gloating over what he had but the probie didn’t. He looked at the picture, just staring at it, and then a few more careful clicks and the image was secured as his wallpaper. 

He jumped when Ziva rolled over, now clearly sleeping as her hand flopped over onto his leg. He smiled, gently moving the appendage. “I guess you’re a heavy sleeper, then. And I’m all alone on this one.” He reached over and pulled a few strands of hair from where they had fallen over Ziva’s face. “She’s really nice, you know. You might even like her.” He stroked Ziva’s hair as he spoke. “She’s a doctor and she’s very good at it. She’s exactly the kind of girl for me. Hell, I might even marry her one day.” He paused, running his fingertips over her cheek. “But I can’t. I can’t marry her. I can’t love her. I can’t do anything, really. It would be…bad news. But that’s the problem.” He sighed and returned to stroking his partner’s hair. “It’s complicated. And, I just wish I could ask for help.”

Tony turned away, removing his hand from Ziva’s hair and pounding his fist against the window. ‘Dammit! Why can’t I just man up and talk about it?’ He hit the window again, angry at himself for not knowing what to do. ‘She’s just some girl! It shouldn’t matter this much!’ He sighed and leaned his head against the cool glass. ‘But it does.’ Another sigh created condensation on the window.

“Why am I such an idiot?” he asked out loud. He didn’t expect a response, what with his partner asleep. It just felt good to hear his own voice working out these problems. “I know I love her. And I know loving her is the worst possible thing right now. I wish I could focus that love on someone else.” He turned to look at Ziva who didn’t move, blissfully unaware of Tony’s turmoil. “Anyone else. Even you, Ziva. Maybe I could love you.” He thought for a moment before leaning down and laying a gentle kiss on Ziva’s lips.

The Israeli woman stirred, freezing when she realized what was happening. The sound of her flat hand making contact with his cheek echoed in the car. “What the hell do you think you are doing?” she gasped, completely disoriented and groggy from her nap.

Tony rubbed his cheek, giving a cheesy smile at his efforts. “What do you think I was doing?” he challenged, feeling confident after only receiving a smack.

Ziva looked at him in shock, taken aback by his brash actions. “I think you were sexually assaulting me. Would my guess be correct?” She raised an eyebrow at him, daring him to give her another smart assed remark.

He gave a short chuckle, seeing that she was done playing. “If you see it that way then I apologize.” He turned away, his solemn face reflected in the window.

Ziva reached out and placed her hand on his shoulder in an awkward but reassuring gesture. “What is wrong? Something is bothering you. Why else would you kiss me out of nowhere?” 

Tony turned back to face her, averting his gaze as best he could in their confined space. “It’s complicated,” he admitted. “Everything sort of is right now. I don’t really want to talk about it.”

Ziva relaxed her arm, bringing it back into her lap. “Alright, we do not have to talk.” She turned her own gaze out the window. “But just so you know,” she spoke faced away from him, “I am here when you are ready to still your guts.”

Tony laughed, taking his turn to place his hand on Ziva’s shoulder. “I know.” He smiled in time for her to turn back to him. “When I’m ready to _spill_ my guts, you’ll be the first to know.” She returned his smile, content with how her evening turned out.


	3. Making History

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kate can't find her pencil and is having a crisis over it. But is that all that's bothering the former secret service agent? DiNozzo and McGee to the rescue; if they can't put a smile on her face then no one can.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The theme is Making History  
> Featured Character: Kate

Kate rummaged through her top drawer, throwing aside papers and anything else her fingers brushed over. A breathy grumble escaped her lips when she finally slammed the draw shut. Two heads popped up from lamp lit work as she sat back in frustration. 

“Is…is there something wrong?” McGee asked, he slowly rose from his seat to try and make out Kate’s expression over her computer monitor. 

Tony got up a bit quicker and was over behind Kate’s desk before she could make another sound. “Doesn’t look like much of a problem to me. Then again it doesn’t look like much of anything to me.” He clapped his hand on her shoulder and gave a harsh little laugh. 

“Not now, Tony.” She brushed him off and bent down to start digging through her purse. “Why can’t I find it?” she asked herself, bringing the bag up to dump its contents on her desk.

Tony ran his hand through the menagerie of half used chapstick and crumpled up receipts. “Find what?” he asked picking up a particular receipt that caught his eye. “I didn’t know you shopped at-” He was cut off by an elbow in his gut. “Never mind.” He barely got out.

Kate looked up at him with the usual expression of disdain she regarded him with. “To answer your question; I’m trying to find my pencil.” She shrugged as she yanked open the top draw again. “I always use that pencil when I sketch. It’s just something…I don’t know.” She slammed the draw shut again and turned to look at her colleagues. “Will you guys help me, please?”

McGee jumped and raced over to offer his assistance in any way he could. Tony rose from where he was leaned against the cubicle divider and moved to stand right behind Kate. “What’s so special about a pencil? I could just lend you one. Hell, Gibbs has a hundred just sitting here on his desk.” He motioned to the absent agent’s desk.

Kate looked up at Tony, turning in her chair to see him better. “If you aren’t going to take this seriously then you can go sit back down.” She looked like she might cry, frustration and exhaustion evident on her face.

Tony’s brow furrowed and he crouched down to be at eye level with her. “Hey, hey, tell me what’s going on.” He had a reassuring hand on her shoulder. 

Kate took a deep breath and looked everywhere except at Tony. She pressed her lips together. She brought her hands up to her face and cupped them around her nose, pressing her index fingers against her tear ducts. She took another deep breath and licked her lips, trying her best to control her voice. “Do you ever feel like…like you’re here for such a short time and then you’re gone and no one remembers you. And it just feels like you don’t mean anything to anyone, if it’s so easy to just disappear.” Tears started to roll down her cheeks and McGee crouched down next to Tony to try and offer additional support. “My grandma would always says that if I did everything I could that someone would remember me. Sometimes I just feel like nothing I do is good enough.” She got up, brushing passed the boys. “No one’s going to remember me when I’m gone.”

“That’s not true.” Kate turned back around to see McGee looking at her with such confidence that she had to laugh. “No, I’m serious. Kate, you are the envy of every woman who meets you. You’re beautiful, talented, you can pull off anything, and you have a killer smile.” He pocketed his hands and leaned back in a relaxed manner. “No one could ever forget someone as special as you.”

Kate smiled through her tears, wiping her hand across her face to try and eradicate the mess that was previously her makeup. “Thanks, Tim. I was really starting to doubt myself.” She began pacing back and forth across the squad room. “Here I thought the pencil was what was making my sketches special but maybe it _was_ me all along.”

A sharp burst of laughter broke the heartwarming atmosphere. Kate and McGee turned to Tony who was doubled over and gripping the side of Gibbs’ desk to support himself. He looked up and wiped a tear. “I’m sorry. You actually thought you were sketching with a _magic pencil_ and that 0% of it was your natural talent?” 

Kate wanted to slap him for being so rude until the words processed and she gave him a measured smile. “You think I have natural talent?” she asked in almost a whisper. 

Tony laughed, this time to hide his embarrassment and rubbed the back of his head. “I do,” he said carefully. “I also found your pencil,” he said slowly.

Kate’s eyes widened and she practically jumped across the room to pounce on Tony. Without thinking, she planted a kiss on his lips and wrapped her arms around his neck. Realizing what she had done, she quickly detangled herself and took a few steps back. He handed her the pencil and she offered him a sweet smile. “Thank you,” she said meaningfully.

“For what?” All heads turned to see Gibbs walking in at a quick pace with coffee in hand. He looked over his team and raised his eyebrow as well as his hand to take a sip of the dark beverage.

Kate fidgeted, laying the pencil down among the contents of her purse. “Um, well, it was, I was just, well.” She bit her lip to stop the stream of nonsense from continuing.

Gibbs gawked at Kate’s inability to find words before recomposing himself. “Well, spit it out, Kate. You’re starting to sound like McGee.”

At that, the probie jumped to the rescue. “Tony was just telling Kate how amazing her sketches are and that he was going to find an art gallery that would display them.” Kate’s eyes grew wide as she directed them at McGee.

“Yeah,” Tony confirmed, pulling Kate over to lean against his shoulder. “You don’t know it yet, boss, but Kate’s gonna be making history one day.” He offered a smile down to her which she returned with ease. 

She had to admit; sometimes Anthony DiNozzo knew exactly when to open his god damned big mouth.


	4. Rivalry

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Lieutenant Colonel and Director go head to head. Both women have eyes for one Leroy Jethro Gibbs, but is that all they share? Maybe they aren't so different after all. Accidental shipping.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The theme is Rivalry  
> Featured Character(s): Hollis Mann and Jenny Shepard

Gibbs threw open the heavy door just to slam it shut behind himself as he left his former and current lovers to “chat”. He had a sinking feeling in his gut as he headed back to prep his team for whatever may come up. 

Inside the Director’s office, the red head was having a stare down with her romantic rival. She tried her best to read the woman in uniform but couldn’t seem to get a grasp of what she was all about. What did she have that was so enticing? How had she won the heart of one Leroy Jethro Gibbs?

The Lieutenant Colonel looked back, feeling superior at the frustrated look on the Director’s face. She relaxed her stance and crossed her arms over her chest in a way that said she was allowing her rival to make the first move.

The Director gave a disgruntled shrug to her left and rose from her chair, walking around the desk at an intentionally slow pace and stopping right in front of the Lieutenant Colonel. Her head held the tiniest bit of a tilt, to look up at the slightly taller woman. No one observing would have noticed but the Lieutenant Colonel gave a smug little smile at the turn of the tables.

The two women stood there in their little staring match for several long minutes before the Director broke eye contact and took a few quick steps over to a cabinet built into the wall. The Lieutenant Colonel smirked at the Director as she scurried away. From the cabinet, she produced a decanter and two glasses.

The Lieutenant Colonel followed her rival over to the table where two glasses of the amber liquid were poured and each woman took one in hand. Each of them took a sip of the bourbon, Jenny seeming to savour it like a rich chocolate while Hollis caught herself trying not to cough it back up. “I admit,” Hollis coughed into the back of her hand, “I don’t drink this stuff much.”

Jenny gave a haughty laugh. “It’s an acquired taste.” She took on a sultry expression, her voice growing quieter. “You spend enough time around Gibbs and you’ll learn.”

Hollis raised her eyebrow and took another sip, the strength of the drink nearly making her gag. She pressed her lips together and raise her hand up to cover her mouth. Giving a sharp cough to clear her throat she began prying at the other woman. “And just when did you _acquire_ the taste?” 

Jenny knew what she was trying to do and gave another short laugh. “Are you asking when I started to like it or how long that took?” She rested the glass back on the table, leaning onto her hand and allowing her hip to swing out to the other side. 

Lieutenant Colonel Mann took a moment for her eyes to trace their way up and down the Director’s body, the curves and perfection more justly suited for a Disney movie than real life. The sound of her setting her own glass down on the table reminded her of the situation she was getting herself into. “I think we both know what I meant.”

The Director raised an eyebrow, reclaiming her glass and sauntering over to the window. A quick flick of her wrist and the blinds all closed, clearly she had experience in darkening the room quickly. The Lieutenant Colonel swallowed audibly, gripping onto the chair for support. Jenny turned back, a particularly sexy smile plastered across her face. “I think we both know the answer to that. But the better question is; how long will it take you?”

\--+--

All eyes were on the Lieutenant Colonel as she walked down the stairs from the Director’s office. Her hair was pulled from its perfect bun, hanging haphazardly around her face and down her back. She was carrying her jacket, the dark tee shirt underneath being untucked and wrinkled around the stomach. And her cap was clutched tightly in her balled up fist.

“Everything alright, Hol?” Gibbs asked, cutting off her line of escape. He had a goofy smile on his face and he held his arms out to keep her from evading.

Hollis stood up straight, trying her best to breathe evenly. “Everything is fine, Jethro. Just like it always is.” She looked in his eyes, silently pleading he would let her escape with the last shreds of her dignity.

“You just seem to be in a bit of a hurry. Any reason for that?” His goofy smile stayed in place and she could tell his team was trying their best to peek a look at her. She prayed that he wouldn’t move, his broad shoulders keeping her hidden.

She swallowed and forced her own shoulders back, taking a more profession posture. “I have my own people to get back to.” She blinked slowly, trying her best to keep eye contact and at the same time look at him as little as possible. 

Gibbs shrugged and stepped aside, much to her surprise. “Sure,” he said as he often did when he got a suggestion that worked for him. 

She looked up at him with confusion, eliciting another shrug from him and the gesture to get going. “Alright,” she said slowly, “I’ll see you later.” She walked with more confidence to the elevator, pushing the button to head down to the ground floor.

“Hey, Hol!” Gibbs called, causing her to turn around. He wore a different smile now, one that made her stomach drop. “I would wipe the Director’s lip stick off your neck before you _return to your people_.” He gave a hardy chuckle.

Hollis turned the same shade of red as the smudge on her neck as she ducked into the elevator. Never had she been so embarrass in her life. She wanted to curl up and hide for an eternity. That is, until she remembered the nice little pink surprise that Jenny was going to show off on her forehead. She smiled to herself, rubbing at the stained patch of skin. ‘Oh yes,’ she thought, ‘revenge is sweet.’

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I don't know how this pairing came about. Nor do I know how I feel about it.  
> I had to remove so many epithets from this it's not even funny :/


	5. Unbreakable

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Everyone on Team Gibbs wants to know whose stronger; Ziva or the rest of the team. Rigorous Mossad training did not prepare her for the interrogation session she's about to endure.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The theme is Unbreakable  
> Featured Character: Ziva

Ziva struggled against her restraints. Part of her could not believe what she had gotten herself into. It had been a bet, a dare at most, and now she was sitting alone, chained to a chair, in the interrogation room. She knew they all stood safely just on the other side of the glass. And she knew they were all dying to know who had better training; her or all of them. 

She gave one more good yank at the handcuffs before deciding they were secure and then switched to wiggling her ankles against the more traditional rope. She gave a little smirk and noted that she should give Ducky prompts…er, props for his handiwork. 

As she was shaking off her mistake, the door opened and McGee walked in. Despite her clear restraints and that she had just proved that she was indeed stuck he still seemed uneasy. He sat across from her, taking his time, and questioned her. 

Ziva had been ready for anything but was a little startled that all of McGee’s questions were the usual kind you would ask a suspect. He asked questions that tested her memory about her time with the team, questioning her reasoning behind a few actions that clearly puzzled him, and even asking some questions that were deceptively mundane. 

When he was done she felt confident. Even though she knew Gibbs was going to throw the ball lightly at first she still believed beyond a doubt that she could hit each round out of the park. The next person to join her was Ducky.

The old, English gentleman only had one question for her; he wished to hear a detailed story about her childhood. As unconventional as it seemed, Ziva was more than happy to talk to the doctor about her younger years. Though not detailed, she did depict a scene from your childhood. She seemed to almost be in a dream as she talked about her sister and the time when her family was a family. 

Ducky questioned small aspects, having her re-describe the odd feature or elaborate on a strange word she used. They laughed at the silly things she had once done that felt lifetimes ago. That was something she loved about Ducky; he could make her forget that she wasn’t that little girl anymore. 

She was sad to see him leave when he had finished his questions, noting to herself that she would like to spend more time with the doctor. Her next guest was Abby. The perky goth practically bounced in, Caf-Pow in hand. She seated herself on the table and smiled down at Ziva in a way that made the liaison officer feel uncomfortable.

Abby’s questions stunned her. The lab rat was firing one question after another at the poor restrained girl and not one of them made sense. Ziva took a deep breath and listened to the string of questions pouring out of Abby’s mouth. Alone, each question was nonsense or a riddle, but as she listened to a few all together she was able to piece things together and convey reasonable answers that satisfied the forensic scientist.

Ziva was dreading what was going to be thrown at her next. And sure enough the devilishly charming Anthony DiNozzo was spinning the chair around to straddle it backwards. She kicked herself for thinking he was the least bit charming but the way he sat there and looked at her with such a suave air to him made her shiver. Things were about to get serious.

“Comfortable, Ziva?” Tony asked in a way that seemed both sincere and condescending at the same time. He folded his arms behind his head and tilted back in the chair.

“I have been in worse situations, Tony. This,” she rattled her restraints, “is nothing.” She met his gaze in a challenging way, daring him to feel safe.

He gave a short laugh, seeming perfectly comfortable and without a care in the world. “Then here’s my first question. What colour panties are you wearing?”

Ziva’s eyes shot wide open. There was no way he was allowed to ask her something like that. “Do you not have something more productive to ask?” she tried to counter.

Tony sat forward, a triumphant smile growing on his face. “Avoiding the question. Is our little princess going commando today?” He laughed, causing Ziva to turn a particularly unflattering shade of bright red.

She averted her gaze and mumbled something that no one could make out. She stole a quick glance back to see Tony holding his hand to his ear as if trying to hear a secret. “Blue,” she said just loud enough that he could hear her. 

Another triumphant smile and he leaned back again. “And does your bra match or are you the type not to match unless someone is gonna see it?”

Ziva wriggled a bit, hoping maybe she had been going easy on the restraints earlier. Finding that her earlier judgement of the cuffs and Ducky’s ropes had been accurate she sighed and glared at her now enemy. “They match.” 

Tony seemed satisfied and rose from his seat. He walked halfway to the door before turning around with his finger in the air. He walked right up to Ziva and sat on the table, giving her nowhere else to look. “There’s just one more thing. You said you were a screamer. Is that really true? And if it is, I would really like to experience it firsthand.”

Never before in her life had Ziva wanted to slap someone as much as she did as Tony left the room. She tried to calm herself down, unsuccessfully, as she waited for her final challenge. Gibbs walked into the room calmly like she was any other suspect and sat down across from her.

She noticed that he didn’t bring a coffee cup with him. She stared at the empty place on the table where it should be for several moments, confused and dumbfounded by the prospect. “Are you ready?” Gibbs asked gently.

Ziva tore her eyes away from where the coffee should be to see the sympathetic expression on his face. She could judge, just from how gentle he was now, that he was not going to go easy on her. She swallowed and nodded.

Gibbs closed her eyes and stood up and paced a few steps to either side, getting in character. He opened his eyes, all the usual angry in place, and steadied his gaze on Ziva. 

Two hours of them going back and forth later, Gibbs shouting and Ziva giving calm, clear answers, and it felt like they had hit a stalemate. In the back of Gibbs’ mind he was really starting to believe that Ziva was unbreakable, that her training really was superior.

That was, until he remember one specific detail that only he and Ziva knew. He calmly sat down and looked at her with pseudo kindness in his eyes. “I just have one more question for you, Ziva,” he said far more calmly than any of his other questions.

Ziva failed to notice that Gibbs’ demeanor had changed and smiled back with confidence. “Just one? Are you giving up so easily, Gibbs?”

Gibbs gave a breathy laugh. “Maybe. Answer it first, then we’ll see.” He waited for her response which was a simple nod before he folded his hands on the table and leaned forward. “Why didn’t get rid of Ari before he killed Kate?” Ziva was silent, she couldn’t find words. She could barely find air. It felt like the world was closing in and all air had been sucked from her lungs. “Answer me!” Gibbs shouted, slamming his hand down on the table. “Why did you let Kate die? You could have stopped him! You could have saved her! Why didn’t you?”

Ziva surprised herself with the strangled little sob that escaped her lips. She couldn’t form words. Her whole world was falling apart. Gibbs sat back, knowing he had won, and allowed her to cry. Every inch of her was screaming that it was her fault. All of it was her fault. Everyone blamed her for Kate’s death. Her body convulsed in a dry heave at the sickness that collected in her chest. If she could do anything she would have gone back in time to save the woman she never knew. At least then she wouldn’t feel so guilty.

Gibbs got up and walked to the door, meaning to give her some time to calm down before untying her. He turned back, the open door in his hand. “Ziva,” he said gently, waiting for her tear filled eyes to meet his. “No one blames you.” 

It should have made her feel better, but his comforting words made her feel 100x worse. “It is my fault,” she choked out as the door shut. “It is all my fault.” Even if everyone else in the world forgave her or never blamed her for the tragedy, Ziva would always blame herself and, secretly, always wish that it had been her instead of Kate.


	6. Obsession

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ari reminisces about Kate. From the day they met to the day he killed her. Creepy musings...I didn't know I had it in me

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The theme is Obsession  
> Featured Character: Ari Haswari

When her brown eyes met mine that first time I could not believe fate could be in my favour. Of all the things I did, not one would have amounted to a stereotypical good. Yet there she was. She just stared at me. And for that moment there was no hate in her, just concern. Perhaps even sympathy. Even if the second before she had intended by demise, she no long felt it necessary.

And her name. It was the most beautiful sound I had ever heard. It displayed her fairness and her loveliness. But also her fierce nature and determined spirit. I could not think of a single name that suited her more. When I had left her, I had to know the true meaning of such a beautiful name. Pure. Like her.

I didn’t once stop thinking about her. I couldn’t get her out of my mind. I wanted nothing more than to be in her presence forever. I watched her. From afar. I daren’t get too close. Though I longed for it to be, I knew she did not feel for me as I did for her. 

Each piece of her drew me in. Her eyes, the windows to the soul, were soft and chocolate brown. I could still remember my own face reflected in them. And I longed to be all those eyes saw. 

Her hair was a dark cocoa colour, but different from her eyes. While her eyes were delicate and displayed her vulnerable side, her hair was harsh and strong showing that she was a fighter. And there was one fight I would want to take part in; the fight for her love.

And her voice. What music it could produce. She need but say just one word and I was in love all over again. To hear her say my name, just once would make my heart melt. To hear it more, I would not recover from the pleasure. To hear her voice just for me would be a fantasy.

I was a fool and dared to see her again. I shouldn’t have tricked her like I did but I couldn’t risk her leaving again. To have her smile, in that small second, just for me was more that I could have wished.

And she took the bait. She followed me. The pain they caused her was unforgivable. I wanted to protect her, to keep her safe. Like a princess in a tower that to which only I had the key. Having her to myself and knowing it could not last was almost more painful than watching from a far rather than acting. 

I didn’t want to believe it. I never wanted to think of it. But it was staring me right in the face. Every part of me wanted to believe that she was heartless, that she did not love me because she did not love. But she looked at him as I looked at her. She loved, but she did not love me. 

I admit, I was jealous. But jealousy is healthy in a relationship. But without the relationship, what does that leave me with. A broken heart. And jealousy.

Watching the wind blow through her hair and the smile that graced her lips. I pretended she was smiling at me, though she never would again. She never repeated mistakes. I could hold onto this image of her forever. Because I would never see her again. 

“I’m sorry, Caitlin.”


	7. Eternity

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> What is on Gibbs' mind. And why is it making him desire to walk home in the rain? His team wants to make sure he's okay so they follow him. They weren't expecting this one.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The theme is Eternity  
> Featured character: Gibbs

Gibbs didn’t get distracted. His mind was like a steel trap, nothing escaped him. But, despite all that, no one seemed to be able to get through to him. His field agents watched with concern from their desks as their boss stared out the window. He looked to be in a dream, watching the rain fall and wearing an expression as if he did not understand how the water could fall.

Abby exited the elevator and threw herself at Gibbs, hoping the abrupt hug would jog him free of whatever was eating him. Doctor Mallard followed slower, placing a hand on Gibbs’ shoulder in support. The former marine seemed to stare straight threw them.

Gibbs slowly walked back to his desk, as if unsure of how steady his legs were. He sat and took a sip of the coffee that always sat waiting. The face he made when the liquid touched his tongue was the same one might make when something was too salty. All eyes flew to the desk to see if anything was out of place. There was, though unexpected, three empty packets of sugar around where the cup had sat. 

He rose once more, collecting his coat from the back of his chair. Despite the rain it was as warm out as any other summer day. Tony tried to point that out but was met with the cool breeze as Gibbs walked passed his desk without even a look.

Instead of heading to his car, Gibbs strolled down the street. You wouldn’t know it was raining the way he walked with his face to the sky. The faintest trace of a smile was on his face as he seemed to see things in the clouds and he found humorous.

They would be in trouble if he found out. But everyone was so worried that no one could have stayed behind to cover. It was harder to track the man than expected. On foot was out of the question as they would draw attention to themselves. They finally divided into two cars, one for the guys and one for the girls, and followed their boss like he was a suspect.

He seemed so carefree as he walked, no apparent destination in mind. He visited places that Tony recognized and did his best not to remember. An apartment building with a still vacant room, a boat yard where a familiar face had returned to them, and a vacant lot that once held a majestic mansion.

Ziva and Abby followed him to his next stop; a church. He stayed longer than they expected. Ziva had never seen her boss sit like that. It only took a couple of seconds for Abby to understand what he was doing and where they were. She joined in.

The next stop was a surprise. It was a toy shop. Children cried and screamed as parents told them that they could not afford the hand stuffed animals. Gibbs walked right in and stuffed an animal for every child in the store. He paid for all of them. And he sat down and told the children a story.

As Gibbs walked down the street from the toy store another man approached him. Just looking at his stance, this man was a mugger. Ziva slammed on the breaks and threw her palm into the horn, doing everything she could to warn Gibbs of his potential attacker.

The silver haired man looked to the mugger and offered him a smile. From the cars, no one could hear the words they exchanged. Gibbs shook the man’s hand and appeared to thank him. The man continued down the road, right up to the car. Abby rolled her window down to hear what he had to say. “He says thanks for worrying about him.”

Gibbs continued on to a woman’s shelter. He handed out blankets and played with children. He looked so happy. Every smile he put on someone else’s face seemed to make his glow more intensely.

It was inevitable that their boss was going to get hungry sooner or later. He stopped at a coffee shot and, just as was expected from the earlier catastrophe, he poured a packet of salt into his hot beverage. Tony was curious, going through the drive through and ordering exactly what Gibbs had.

He took a sip, recoiling at the taste. It was not unfamiliar, but it was certainly a surprise. He handed the cup of hot liquid and salt around the car for McGee and Ducky to taste, both were as surprised as him. The coffee was still bitter. The addition of salt reminded them all of the taste of tears.

The girls followed Gibbs to his next stop, the card shop. The card had carnations on the front. Abby’s eyes watered seeing the white flowers, even printed on paper. Gibbs stopped a couple blocks over to put the card into a mail box. Ziva patted Abby’s back in an attempt to comfort her, despite her confusion at the strong reaction.

Gibbs stopped at the bakery, buying a loaf of bread, and headed to the park. He tore off pieces and fed them to the ducks and any small animals brave enough to approach.

After all the bread was gone he sighed and grudgingly got up from the bench. He dreaded continuing on but knew he didn’t have a choice; he had an obligation.

He went back to the card shop and bought plain paper. He stopped back at the coffee shop to write on it and got another coffee, adding salt as he had before. And he returned to the toy shop and stuffed a soft pink rabbit.

His pace slowed, as if his boots had been sucked into the concrete, as he walking in a trance to the florists. He looked around the small shop until settling on a bouquet of violets. He had them wrapped with pink and purple ribbons and exited the shop just as the sun broke through the clouds.

He watched the clouds move, the sun blinding him, before walking in his trance once more.

He caught a cab, his walk seeming to have tired him out. He had been so determined to walk that the approach of the taxi felt like defeat. But Gibbs never admitted defeat.

The confusion was lifted when they all followed cab across town to a place they never expected Gibbs to go. He opened the gate and headed in, all signs of his earlier glow were tarnished.

He walked through the designated rows, his eyes remained set to the sky. He had made this trek many times before and did not need his eyes to guide him; just his heart.

He found what he was looking for and knelt down next to the familiar stone. It wasn’t as fresh as it had once been, the etching faded from weather and time. But it was still there and so was what it guarded.

He laid the flowers, the card, and the rabbit on the grass, tears beginning to roll down his face.

He leaned down and touched the soil next to the flowers. “I love you. Happy Birthday, Kelly.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry if this doesn't make any sense, it was a song chapter that I removed the lyrics from. Also I do not claim that salt in coffee makes it taste like tears. Gibbs doesn't like sweet things (I assume because Kelly and Shannon did) so he doesn't like the sugar in his coffee. The salt in his coffee tasting like tears in my little way of saying that he wants to cry but can't.


	8. Gateway

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's not only Kelly's birthday but Ziva's as well. But she can't seem to come to terms with how to be happy now that she's seen Gibbs so down. Sort of sequel to the last chapter, sort of based on the headcanon that Ziva and Kelly share a birthday

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The theme is Gateway  
> Featured Character(s): Ziva, Ari

A hand landed on Gibbs shoulders. He raised his own to try and wipe the tears away before looking up to see Ziva gazing down at him with tears resting at the corners of her eyes. Seeing the sorrow written on her face snapped him right out of it. He leapt to his feet and collected the Mossad Officer into a bear hug. “Now why are you crying?” he asked in a joking tone that rang with the weight of his own sadness.

Ziva untangled herself from his arms and just smiled, unable to find words that would change anything. She offered him her hand and they walked out of the graveyard. They both paused at the gate, casting a glance back at the decorated grave, before meeting Abby at the car.

 _How could I have known? How could I have not realized? The way he looks at me. That smile he saves just for me. I should have seen it sooner. I should have…somehow._ Ziva repeated the mantra in her mind as they drove back to the Navy Yard. Her phone buzzed a couple times in her hand, two less than it normally would. She looked down at the happy birthday text messages from her friends. Another tear rolled down her cheek at the names missing from the list of senders. She shook it off. I don’t need them if I have to lose this. She smiled at her resolve.

When they exited the elevator, the squad room had already been turned into a miniature party. Ducky was carefully placing 26 candles on a cake done up in camouflage fondant with Ziva’s name written out in big, pink letters. 

Everyone gathered around and sang and Ziva opened her gifts. But her mind was back-back in places that didn’t feel right. She was back in Gibbs’ basement with a gun pointed at her brother. She was back in Israel, arguing with her father. And she was back in the graveyard, unable to say anything to one of the most important people in her life.

Hoping she wouldn’t be noticed, Ziva slipped away to try and find some peace of mind. Her feet carried her down the stairs to Abby’s lab. No one was there and the lights were off, but Ziva felt less alone. She found Burt, the farting hippo, and hugged him tight as she slid to the ground. 

It was strange that she always blamed herself for things she had no control over. It wasn’t her fault she shared the birthday of Gibbs’ lost daughter. Nor was it her fault that he saw her as some kind of surrogate daughter. And as much as she felt it, she knew she wasn’t at fault for Kate’s death. The only misfortune that she was personally responsible for was that Ari was dead and he wasn’t there to tell her what he always did.

_You have to keep your chin up, Ziva. The moment your head falls you are no better than a coward. You must face life with your head held high. I know it is sometimes hard._

She could practically feel his fingertips placed under her chin, raising it up to force her to look him in the eyes. She cast her glance to the side like she would if he were really there. “Everything is hard. How did you live with yourself, Ari? You did such awful things. I have done nothing and I feel hollow.” It was like she could hear his laugh, light and airy.

_You have done great things. In my book, that is not nothing. You are brave and strong. You are courageous and determined. You are everything any woman has ever wanted to be. The pain you carry, the pain of others. You have no right to carry it. You do it because you have to. It is just who you are._

She could almost feel him ruffling her hair and kissing her forehead. She looked up to where she was imagining he stood and spoke into the darkness. “If I could have done anything this pain would not exist.”

_It would find a way. Just like you do. It has to match you in strength to be carried this far. Stop dwelling on the bad, little sister. Try and see the good that is waiting for you. Think of this as my gift to you; I got you to NCIS and now you have a father that truly loves you. Not the one that pretended we meant anything to him._

A tear rolled down her cheek and she wanted nothing more than to embrace the apparition that she had conjured. “He would have loved you, too,” she whispered the words and heard the ghostly response.

_Happy birthday, Ziva._

“Hey!” She turned to see Gibbs standing in the doorway, hand rested over the light switch. “What are you doing down here? This is your party.”

Ziva laughed through her tears and ran her arms across her face to catch the dampness. “I just needed to catch my breath.” She rose and walked over to him. “If it had been Ari, instead of me, he would be like a son, wouldn’t he?”

Gibbs looked down at her in surprise, not expecting that to be the problem on her mind. He thought for a moment before resting a hand on her shoulder. “Maybe. But that’s the road not taken. And I’m pretty sure this is the road he would have wanted me to take any way.”

Ziva smiled, hearing not only Gibbs’ calm words but also the sweet sound of her brother, nudging her on. Telling her that this was what he always wanted for her. 

_The gateway into his heart._


	9. Death

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> McGee has writer's block again. He's decided to write some cute fluff. It's just too bad he's the only person who hasn't read it when it's done. Or McGee overcomes writer's block in his sleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The theme is Death  
> Featured Character(s): McGee, Tony, Ziva, and Gibbs

Special Agent McGregor looked up from filing paper work to see Tommy and Lisa entering the squad room holding hands. Though this was not out of the ordinary for the couple as of late, it still made him a bit uncomfortable. The love birds were smiling and enjoying a private conversation. The elevator door pinged open and McGregor watched their boss, L. J. Tibbs, exit. 

He supposed it was just another normal day. From the somewhat calm look of Tibbs’ face, McGregor felt he was at liberty to relax and sit at his desk. He peaked over his monitor in time to watch Tibbs place a piece of paper between Lisa and Tommy’s faces to stop them from kissing, and to hear the familiar words to save it for after work.

The phone rang and Tibbs answered it, his face growing grave. He told his team to grab their gear and they headed out to the next crime. 

_McGee pulled the sheet of paper out of the type writer and fed it to the shredder. He had been doing this all evening and could not come up with anything he could use. His eyes flashed to the clock; 2:56 am. He sighed, taking note how much longer he had been sitting there than he had thought. He got up and took to the kitchen to get something to fill his midnight snack craving._

_After a banana and half a glass of orange juice, McGee sat back down and tried again. His fingers rested on the letters but he placed no pressure. Nothing came. He was just blank. And it was driving him mad. He picked up a pencil and threw it at the bookshelf to his left, hoping it would hit something that inspired him. All that fell to the floor was an old magazine from when his girlfriend had been staying with him. “I guess I could try writing their wedding again.” He admitted, that part had been elusive as of late. He blamed the fact that Tony and Ziva would kill him when they read it._

Officer Lisa looked in the mirror again as Amy fixed her veil. This was the day she had been waiting for; the day she finally married Tommy. He stomach did little backflips. Despite being a trained assassin and never being afraid of anything, her nerves were getting the best of her.

“Don’t get cold feet.” She turned to face Amy who smiled at her encouragingly. “You love Tommy, if you turn back now you might lose him for good.”

The sound of a gunshot echoed through the chapel and Lisa and Amy grabbed onto each other in terror. Suddenly, until death do us part didn’t feel so far away.

_McGee wanted to personally rip up this one. He knew he wouldn’t really kill off Tommy but even the suspense of making Lisa think that made him personally sick to his stomach. He punched away at another dead end idea on the same page before shredding them both. Nothing was going how he wanted it. “I should sleep. Look at me, I’m talking to myself!” He shook his head and left for the bedroom._

_In the morning, McGee found himself waking at his desk. He must have sleepwalked back out. Noting how late he was, he pulled the half-filled sheet from the typewriter and hurried to get ready. On his way out the door, he stuffed the page into his coat._

_The day went by normally. A new case, a new suspect, a new victim. Nothing was out of the ordinary. At least, it seemed that way. Nothing was ever truly normal at NCIS. Tony made an incredibly sexist comment, Ziva mixed up an idiom, and Gibbs bluffed about understanding computer lingo. McGee was so tired after his near all-nighter, however, that he barely noticed. So tired, in fact, that he fell asleep in Abby’s lab._

_Back in the squad room, Tony was digging through McGee’s things and found the page he had hurriedly stuck in his coat. “Take a look at this,” he said in awe as he handed in to Ziva. She read it and a sweet smile spread across her face. “Pretty good, right?” He took it back and laid it on the desk. “I guess McGeek does know how to write after all.” Ziva gave him a good smack at the mean comment before joining in his laughter._

_After they left, Gibbs walked through the room and notice the sheet on McGee’s desk. He took out his glasses and gazed down at it._

Tibbs smiled at Lisa and offered his arm. “This is it.” He straightened the veil again, despite how much Amy had already. “It’s not too late to turn back.”

She offered him a smile and took his arm. “A wise man once told me that if you really want something you have to chase it.” She laughed into her hand and added: “And not take no for an answer no matter how many times you hear it.”

He joined her in the light hearted laughter. When they both had a tear in their eye he kissed her forehead and held his arm out to usher her forward. He walked her down the aisle and handed her off to her husband-to-be. He tried his best but had to raise his hand to hide the tears of how proud he was of them both.

Lisa didn’t waste any time, taking Tommy’s face in her hands and kissing him as soon as the preacher said she could. Tears rolled down her cheeks. “Don’t ever scare me like that again.” She beat his nose with her finger, trying to be mad when all she felt was relieved.

He laughed an airy laugh and swooped her up in his arms. “Scare you how?” He kissed her nose, then her cheeks, her forehead, and finally her lips. She smiled into the kiss. When he pulled back and place her feet back on the ground he pulled her to his chest and kissed the top of her head. “Come on, until death do us part is a long way off.”

_Gibbs smiled and placed the paper back down. He looked out the window in time to see the last rays of sunlight. He took his glasses off and slid them away, feeling happier than he had been in a long time. “Next time,” he laughed to himself, “I’ll have McGee script the wedding.”_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Isn't it always that when we are handed a theme intended to be sad we somehow twist it into something sweet or otherwise happy?


	10. Opportunity

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ziva decides to humor the girl who keeps asking her to lunch and things go where neither of them suspected.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The theme is Opportunity  
> Featured Character: Ziva

Hannah looked up as the chair across from her was pulled out and the cute foreign girl sat down. Her expression spread into a smile so large that Ziva was afraid the younger woman’s face would split in two. “Hi, Ziva!” Her words sound somewhere between a gasp and a squeak. “I-I never thought you’d actually have lunch with me. I mean, I know you’re a super nice person and are just humoring me and you don’t want me to take it the wrong way. I-I totally get that. I-I just want you to know that I know what you’re intentions are.” She seemed panicked, Ziva raised an eyebrow as she opened her brown bag lunch. Hannah looked down at her own lunch box in a shy, sheepish manner before looking back up at Ziva with a hopeful expression. “Please let me be wrong.”

Ziva laughed and began setting out her lunch as she had seen Tony do the day before. She laid out a sandwich, a bag of chips, a pudding cup, and a container of veggie sticks. She had had a hard time figuring out what was normal to bring for lunch. In the end she had just asked Tony for help. She finished setting things up and looked at Hannah, trying her best to let the girl down lightly. “I am sorry, Hannah. I do not sting that way.”

“Oh! You mean swing,” she quickly corrected, taking out her lunch to set it up as Ziva had. “A-and I totally get it! I mean, it’s not universally accepted so a lot of people haven’t given it a try. Who knows, right? Maybe you could, y-you just don’t know yet.” She stuck a carrot stick in her mouth to stop rambling.

Ziva thought for a moment. It was true she had never been with another woman, but there was a part of her that was scared of the prospect that Hannah may be right. She busied herself opening the pudding cup while she tried to steer the conversation in a different direction. “Perhaps you are right. But a woman does not need to be labelled by what she likes or dislikes.” She tried to say more, but Hannah’s mouth was empty again.

“That is so true! Men think that because we like other woman or we admire other woman that we’re these butch, baseball playing, flannel wearing, penis envying dykes!” She covered her mouth at the slur. “I am so sorry! I didn’t mean for it to come out like that! I just get really excited and things come out of my mouth. Oh! Not that being sexist or stereotyping is exciting, because it’s not!”

Ziva opened her mouth sometime in the middle of Hannah’s rant and closed it again. She opened it again at the end, hoping to catch a break. “You would not, by any chance, be related to Abby Scuito, would you?”

Hannah looked like she had been caught off guard, when she had recomposed herself she picked up another carrot stick and started waving it around. “I’m not. And, you know, I’ve only ever had the pleasure of talking with her once. She said ‘You’re in my way, Hailey, I need to talk to Gibbs’,” she did an impression of Abby, complete with holding her hair in pigtails. “Everyone says that she’s really nice but I thought that was really rude.”

Ziva chuckled as she broke a stalk of celery between her teeth. Abby was a little cold to outsiders. But she was nice once you got to know her. “You probably just got her on a bad day. When I first came here, she was very cold to me but now we are best friends.” Ziva smiled and rested her chin in her palm. “Now it feels like I am spending the night with her every other weekend.”

Hannah emitted a sharp little gasp. Her hands came up and cupped around her nose. Ziva wasn’t sure if the girl was heartbroken or ecstatic. When she pulled her hands back down her voice was a sharp squeak. “You spend the night with Abby? Like, you two are…? Oh my gosh! Why didn’t you just say you were seeing her to begin with? I would have understood. I mean, I still think you’re totes gorgeous and would sell my soul if I thought it would give me a chance with you. But this, like, changes everything!” She bounced up and hugged Ziva, shocking the Israeli woman. Hannah pulled back and reseated herself. “And here I was thinking you had it bad for DiNozzo. Gosh! I couldn’t sleep at night thinking you were with him. But if you’re with Abby…” She gasped again and grabbed Ziva’s hands. “We could go on a double date! It would be so fun!” She raised one hand in what was supposed to be a reassuring gesture. “And don’t worry, people just think it’s a girl’s night out. No one will know.”

A text came through on Ziva’s phone telling her that a lead to their case had surface. “Sorry, I have to go.” She packed her lunch back up and smiled at Hannah as they both stood. 

Hannah smiled and offered her hand for Ziva to shake. “I understand. Thank you, for taking the time to sit with me. I’m sorry for overstepping my bounds. I’m really just happy being around you.” She shrunk sheepishly and kicked the table a couple times in embarrassment. “I-I would really like to see you again, though.”

Ziva thought for a moment. She looked down at her phone then started typing on it. “Here, give me your number.” She smiled at Hannah’s excited squeal. The younger girl took the phone and punched in her digits before handing it back to Ziva. Ziva looked at it and smile, noting the girl had added a heart after her name. 

Hannah nodded her head, as if to say bye, and turned to leave. Ziva’s hand struck out and grabbed her wrist. Hannah turned back around in surprise to be even more blown away when Ziva leaned in and laid a soft kiss to her cheek. When Hannah came to her senses, Ziva was gone and her whole body was tingling. She looked down to her phone buzzing in her hand and flipped it open. The text message she just received was from a number not in her contact list. She opened it and read the words. 

_Sorry if I overstepped my bounds  
-Ziva_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hannah was mentioned by name in canon but never seen on screen. I guess I took that and ran with it.


	11. 33%

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tony has wasted his time at the crime scene chatting up a cute petty officer. Now he's going to pay for it from both Gibbs' cracking down and Ziva's doubts in his so called 100% approval rating.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The theme is 33%  
> Featured Character(s): Tony, Ziva

“Here,” Tony handed his card to the petty officer and winked, “if you need anything, or even if you don’t, feel free to call.” 

She took the card and raised her eyebrow, flipping it over to see both sides. “I’ll keep that in mind.” She made a disgruntled face as she walked away to her fellow marines.

Gibbs waved him over, standing silently as he observed the crime scene. “What’s up, boss?” Tony asked, jogging over to him. The silver fox sipped at his coffee, keeping his squinted gaze at the sky. “Right, I should be finding out.” 

Gibbs gave a half-smile and pointed his coffee off at the scene. “And why aren’t you, DiNozzo?” He took another sip and turned to look at the senor field agent.

Tony scratched the back of his head and laughed nervously. “Well, I was, that is...going boss.” He jogged off, coming up behind McGee as he was taking pictures. “My turn, McProbie,” he said, whacking his shoulder as if a tag out.

McGee straightened up and looked at Tony in a confused fashion. “A little late for that. Not much left to do.” He flipped through the pictures on the camera. “Crime scene has been photographed and sketched. Ziva interviewed the passersby. And I just finished bagging and tagging. That just leaves Ducky to take the body.”

Tony made a face that showed how displeased he was as well as a hint of worry. “You can’t mean that.”

McGee shrugged. “Sorry, should have offered sooner.” He patted Tony’s shoulder as he walked passed to go report to Gibbs.

Tony turned around cringing at the out of earshot conversation the boss and probie were having. He knew he was about to be handed the short straw. He felt an ever stronger sense of dread and whipped back around to see Ziva smirking at him. 

She raised an eyebrow in a jeering fashion. “How does it feel to have 0% removal rating?”

Tony hung his head and placed a hand on Ziva’s shoulder. “Approval. Not removal. And I do not have a 0% rating! I’m just in a rough patch.” He looked at Ziva with intense eyes. “I am a very approved of guy, Ziva.” 

Ziva laughed, leaning her head back to exaggerate the act. “Oh, I am sure you are approved of. But I was meaning here. Now. Gibbs does not seem to be in a very approving mood.” 

“DiNozzo, David! We have a suspect. Private Henry Reid. Find him!” Gibbs barked at them as he and McGee got into the car and left for HQ. 

Tony looked over at Ziva whom had a smug look on her face. “Ok, I’ll give you that one.”

\--+--

“That is not fair!” Ziva shouted as they exited the elevator to Abby’s lab. She spun around and gripped both sides of the elevator door, blocking Tony’s way. “I believe you would call it cheating if anyone else tried it,” she accused, holding firm as he tried to force past her.

“Oh, come on!” Tony exclaimed. He set the evidence bin down and reached out to wrap his arms around Ziva’s waist. She was caught off guard when he didn’t embrace her but instead lifted her up and set her down to the side. He picked the bin back up and walked into the forensics lab. 

Ziva stared at where Tony had been before chasing after him. “Now that is most definitively cheating!” She placed her hands on her hips and humphed.

Abby looked from Tony to Ziva and back again. “Do I want to know what is going on?” She started unpacking the evidence. When no one answered her, she turned to look at them, mirroring Ziva’s stance. “Come on, guys. Talk to me.”

Tony sighed before unfolding his arms and flopping them down at his side. “I was trying to prove to Ziva that, contrary to her belief, I was very much approved of on this team. She keeps saying that I’m cheating.”

“Because you are cheating! You are bribing Gibbs and acting very un-DiNozzo towards McGee. I meant that the usual you is very not approved of. If I wanted you to be the best Tony you could be I would have said that.”

Abby had a huge smile on her face and she looked like she was barely able to contain her laughter. “So, what’s the score?”

Ziva shifted her weight slightly back and crossed her arms over her chest. Her expression grew smug and she cast her glance at Tony. “Tell her, Tony. What is the score?”

Tony looked around, sort of hunching himself forward and making the face of a deranged rabbit. “I’m at about 33%.” Both women burst into laughter and Tony darkened his strange expression. “It’s not that bad.” His defense just made it worse.


	12. Dead Wrong

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jeanne tries to reason with herself about her terrible judge of character during the events of Internal Affair. Canon-compliant musing from Jeanne Benoit

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The theme is Dead Wrong  
> Featured Character: Jeanne Benoit

Some things you just know. You don’t have to be told, you just know. Things like snow is cold and fire is hot. That chocolate is the best thing ever and brussel sprouts are gross the first time. I thought I was one of those people who just knew the basic things. But then I met him and my whole world was turned upside down. 

He was charming. He was sweet. He knew exactly what to say and when to keep his mouth shut. He was my knight in shining armor and I thought he was perfect. There wasn’t a lot that I didn’t know, or at least, that I thought I didn’t know. And I thought I had him all figured out. That he was perfect and I was the luckiest girl in the world.

Well, if that was true, then the world was falling apart, not just my world. He broke my heart. I will never forgive him. 

_Jeanne Benoit walked through the NCIS HQ to the interrogation room. She cast her angry glare at anyone who dared to give her a sympathetic glance. When she was seated and comfortable, Director Jenny Shepard entered and sat across from her._

Maybe I didn’t give him enough credit. He was just doing his job, after all. I can’t blame him. He really does love me, and he was only trying to protect me. That’s why he lied. I guess I can forgive him.

_“I did it,” Jeanne said, practically on the verge of tears. “I killed him.” She felt completely torn apart as the words left her mouth._

_Jenny reached across the table to hold Jeanne’s hand in a comforting manner. “It feels that way, doesn’t it? But it’s not true.”_

It was hard. Finding out I was wrong about everyone I thought I knew so well. Tony, my father, even myself. I thought I had it all figured out. That I knew how a situation would play out so long as I was in control. I guess I never really knew myself well enough to be in control.

_“I don’t know if you could have saved him.” Jenny cast her glance away from Jeanne discreetly. “He loved you,” she looked back at Jeanne, locking eyes with the young woman. “Of that, I am sure.”_

It was like that was all they had in common. Their lying to and loving me. I thought I knew them but I only knew part of them. I was almost curious enough to want to know what they were so worried about me knowing. 

_Jeanne left the interrogation room and was escorted back to the elevator. She was stopped by Tony whom dismissed her escort and spoke with her._

I shouldn’t want to forgive him. I shouldn’t want to forget that he lied and that he will do it again. I should just walk out of there right then and there. I should just forget about him and love and everything that made me happy. 

_“I’m sorry you caught in the middle of all this,” he offered half-heartedly. He was leaned against the elevator door._

_She tried to smile, though every part of her wanted to cry instead. “Was any of it real, Tony?”_

_He stayed silent. She just looked at him, wanting to take back the question so that he wouldn’t have to answer. “No,” he finally said._

_The elevator opened and she stepped in, facing him as the door closed. “I wish I had never met you.”_

I have been right about a lot of things. But when it came to the men in my life, I have been nothing but dead wrong.


	13. Running Away

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Gibbs is interrogating a young girl who is thought to be responsible for the injury of a pair of navy sailors. She is shy and has trouble opening up, so how does Gibbs know she's lying. And why is he humoring her?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The theme is Running Away  
> Featured Character: Gibbs

Gibbs entered the interrogation room, coffee in hand, to find a young girl waiting with her arms crossed. He stopped dead in the doorway, taking her in. She couldn’t be older than 15 and had an expression on her face that could only be saying that she did not want to be there. Her hair was blonde and curly and tied in loose, low ponytails. At her roots, there were specks of brown creeping in, suggesting that the blonde was from a box. Her eyes darted around the room in a guilty fashion, the dark green mixed with specks of brown never resting in one place for very long. 

Finally, Gibbs eyes rested on her hands, folded on the table and tapping in a way that seemed like she was trying to pass the time. He gave a side smile and walked into the room, closing the door behind himself.

The girl looked up, only seeing his face for a moment before ducking back down and pulling her hands into her chest. Gibbs sat down and calmly set out the file that had been left for him. He opened it up and read it over, casting his glance up to the fidgeting girl a couple of times before closing it and pushing it to the side.

“Says here your name is Sylvia Lureman. You ran away. When the local LEOs found you, instead of going quietly you held a lance corporal at gun point. You injured two police officers and killed a civilian.” He watched as she squirmed with each word. She would cast her glance up whenever he would pause and then duck back down as soon as sound began to flow through the room again. Gibbs took a sip of his coffee, placing it back down closer to Sylvia. “Do you like coffee? I can have someone bring you some, if you’d like.”

Sylvia peeked up through her bangs at Gibbs, his genuine kindness display in his eyes, coaxing her to sit up straight and offer a smile. “Yeah, I…I do. Thanks.” Gibbs made a gesture to the glass window. “Look, I’m sorry about all this. Whatever they told you, it’s a misunderstanding at worst. At best, they lied to you.”

Gibbs raised an eyebrow. “Nobody told me anything. I was hoping to hear your side of the story first.” He paused for a moment. “All that I just told you I read from the incident report in the case file. You can read it yourself.” He pushed it to her. 

Sylvia hesitated a moment before tentatively opening the file and scanning the page. She flipped it over, then back again, thinking she had missed something. She slammed the file closed and case her eyes back up at Gibbs. “They lied,” she whispered. “I didn’t have the gun.”

Gibbs sat back. “Why didn’t you just say that to begin with?” he asked calmly. The door opened and McGee walked in with a cup of coffee which he handed to Sylvia and then left. She sipped at the hot liquid, keeping her eyes on the file. “Sylvia,” Gibbs waited for her to look up, “why did you have to see the file before you told me you didn’t have the gun?”

Sylvia looked passed Gibbs to the window, silently pleading with the people she couldn’t see to save her. After waiting long enough she set her coffee down and focused her gaze on Gibbs. “Can I start at the beginning?”

“Well, yeah,” Gibbs said in a way that would sound rude had it come from anyone else. “That’s kind of the point.”

Sylvia took a deep breath and picked up her coffee again, holding against her collar bone. “Yes, I ran away. I was trying to prove a point. I was just going to be gone for a couple of days and then come back. Being a navy brat I knew it was going to be difficult.” She shifted the coffee to her other hand. “So, I asked lance corporal Burmingham for help. He was an old friend of my grandpa’s. He drove me off the base and to a cabin that he and grandpa shared when they were younger.”

“And that’s when he gave you the gun,” Gibbs pressed. “To protect yourself if anyone came to the cabin.”

Sylvia shook her head, clutching the coffee with both hands. “No, I never had the gun.” She took another deep breath, trying to fight back frustrated tears. “That’s why I wanted to see the file. Before the lance corporal left, a local police officer stopped by the cabin to chat with him.”

Gibbs raised his own coffee to his lips and took a sip. “This guy got a name?” he asked, setting the cup back down at turning the file towards himself.

Sylvia nodded, mirroring Gibbs’ sip. “He was officer Mike Peters. The same man who wrote up that incident report. When the lance corporal left to get him a drink he started asking me all these questions. I didn’t want to answer so I asked him about his gun. He handed it to me.” She set her coffee down. “I know that’s why I’m here. You found my finger prints on the gun that was responsible for the happenings of the incident report.”

Gibbs picked his cup back up, smiled in a taunting manner. “Can you prove it?”

Sylvia sat back and crossed her arms across her chest. “Give me your gun.” Gibbs looked at her like she had sprouted another head and used it to drink his coffee. Sylvia sighed and relaxed her stance. “The report said that I held the lance corporal at gunpoint, right? Give me your gun and just see if I am actually capable of holding someone at gunpoint.”

Gibbs laughed and pulled his sig from his waist. For safety, he removed the mag and handed it to Sylvia. She stood up and walked over behind Gibbs, holding the gun to his head, her back to the window. She clicked back the safety and pressed the barrel into the side of Gibbs’ head. Gibbs took this as his cue to grab the gun, forcing a finger behind the trigger so it could not be pulled. Sylvia tried her best to struggle against him but was overtaken before she could have even twitched to fire.

She sat back down and sipped at her coffee, calmer now that she had been able to demonstrate. Gibbs got up, clicking the safety forward and tapping the mag into place. He slid the gun back in its holster and took his coffee from the table. He walked to the door, leaving the file with Sylvia.

“Can I go, now?” she called. He turned back from the door, hand hovering over the handle, and saw she had reverted back to being hunched forward. The difference this time was that she now was holding her coffee in both hands on her lap.

Gibbs smiled, a knowing smile, one that sent shivers down the backs of the agents behind the glass. “Nope.” He opened the door. “I’m going to go talk to Officer Peters. While I’m gone, I want you to read over that file. And, when I come back, you’re going to tell me the truth.”

Sylvia looked like she had just been slapped. She set her coffee down on the table, her hands shaking as the glided over to the file. “What part do you not believe?” she asked guardedly.

Gibbs exited, the door closing as he called back. “The part where you were willing to pull the trigger.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Two things. First I realize now I could have done something really cool and angsty and potentially shippy for this theme. Second, I have zero clue what is going on in this chapter. This was written so long ago that I'm not going to pretend I remember what I was getting at here.


	14. Judgment

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Plagued by her moral ambiguity, Jenny seeks comfort in the only person she trusts. But is it enough? Jenny thinks over her actions. Canon-compliant.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The theme is Judgment  
> Featured Character: Jenny Shepard

_It should not have been my choice. I had no right to make the decision yet I could not help myself. He was right there in front of me, practically begging that I do it. I couldn’t resist. I couldn’t stop myself._

Jenny Shepard paced back and forth in her study. She had been agitated since that afternoon when her undercover agent had nearly been blown to pieces. But now it was different. As she was walking from wall to wall, she was wringing her hands or fixing her hair. Anything to keep her fingers from shaking alongside her nerves. 

A light knock on the open door alerted her to his presence. Gibbs. She stopped pacing and looked to him expectantly. After a moment of silence she walked over to him at a hurried pace and allowed his embrace to protect her from worry. 

“I screwed up,” she mumbled into his chest. She had her arms wrapped around him and was squeezing as hard as she could, trying to seek comfort and safety in the warmth. “You were right,” she sighed, tilting her head back to look up at him, “I was taking things too personally.”

He gently stroked her hair, leading her to the desk where he sat her down. “You did everything right.” He cupped her cheek, giving her a sympathetic look. “You can’t keep blaming yourself. Every day, they put their lives in danger for my sake. I can’t spend all my time dwelling on if something happened. I wouldn’t be able to do my job.” He leaned down and kissed her forehead. “And you can’t do yours if you keep worrying about this.”

She smiled and took his face in her hands. She leaned up and kissed his lips softly. “I could do without you telling me how to do my job, Jethro,” she whispered in a playful tone.

He laughed, his breath tingling as it blew across her face. “Same to you, Jen.”

_Wanting to stop and being able to aren’t always the same time. Moving on and forgetting at worlds apart. But love and hate, they are always connected. Good and evil. Crime and justice. I walk the border. I invoked justice by committing a crime. Tried to assert my good against something that may not have been evil. It was my love that caused me to hate. And now I am ready to be judged. I may not be proud of what I’ve done. But I’m sticking to it._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I think this is taking place in the same episode as Dead Wrong, but I do not know for certain.


	15. Seeking Solace

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ziva made the mistake of falling for a dead man walking. Tony wants to cheer her up but her idea of a night to take her mind off things is a little different than to be expected.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The theme is Seeking Solace  
> Featured Character(s): Ziva, Tony

Ziva opened her eyes at the sound of someone sitting next to her on the bench. Her vision was still obstructed by her hands. She took a couple deep breaths before removing them and sitting back to see Tony next to her, apparently just enjoying the evening. 

He noticed her staring at him and turned to give her a welcoming smile. She was a little surprised by that, becoming defensive at what his possible intentions may be. “What are you doing, Tony?”

He shrugged and stretched his arms up over his head. He let them fall back down over the back of the bench. “Just keeping you company.”

She welcomed the gesture of his open arms and shifted closer to him until their legs were touching. “Why?” she asked after a few moments of silence. Her voice was nothing more than a whisper, making a little puff in the cooling night air.

A little shiver raced up her spine. “Why not?” he countered, sliding his arm down from the back of the bench to pull her closer. “Am I not allowed to worry about you?”

A small smile formed on her lips as she leaned against him, reaching across to grip onto his jacket. “I’m fine.” Her voice cracked, giving away just how not fine she was. She reached up with her other hand to wipe away a tear as it began down her face. “Things are just-”

“Complicated?” Tony interjected. Ziva nodded against his chest. He stroked her hair comfortingly. “Yeah, I know what that’s like. If you don’t want to talk, I just want you to know that I’m here when you’re ready to _still_ your guts.”

Ziva laughed, a small choking sound, through the tears she hadn’t even realized were soaking her skin. She sat there for a few more moments before swallowing hard and looking up at her partner. “Can we go somewhere? Just the two of us?”

Tony smiled, running his free hand under Ziva’s eyes to try and capture the tears. “You mean like a date?” he teased.

Ziva smiled in response, the tears having come to a halt. “Yes.” She got up and took his hand in both of hers to pull along. “A date,” she confirmed when they reached his car. Tony laughed nervously at what he had just gotten himself into.

\--+--

Ziva pulled Tony by the hand out of the elevator and down the hall to her apartment. She had a giddy look on her face and seemed to be brimming with excitement. Tony silently congratulated himself for turning her mood completely around. At the door she fumbled with her keys, something normal Ziva would never do. 

After close to 5 minutes of failing to get the key in the lock, Tony took them from her and slid them in with ease. Inside, Ziva ditched her shoes and the sweater she had been carrying and flopped over on the couch. 

“Well,” Tony took a few steps into the apartment, “it looks like you’re all settled in. I’ll see you-” He was cut off as Ziva pounce on him and dragged him over to the couch. She knocked him backwards onto it and pinned him down, seating herself across his hips. “Or I’ll stay here with you?”

She giggled and playfully leaned down to whisper in his ear. “Thank you, Tony. You just have a way of making everything better.” The words were genuine but the tone was far too sexy. He looked at her in shock as she pulled back and look down at him like a cat whom had caught the mouse.

“So,” he tried his best not to sound scared of nervous, still convinced that she could smell it on him like a predator. “What movie are we going to watch?”

Ziva’s eyes lit up and she hopped off of him and over to the bookcase where the DVDs were kept. She started picking through them, as if looking for one in particular. “How about this?” She turned back holding a black and white DVD case up. 

There were two people on it; a woman holding a heart next to her head, and a man holding it over his crotch. Tony smiled, giving her a thumbs up, and leaned back into the couch. She set up the movie and cuddled up next to him, getting closer and cozier than he ever thought she would.

\--+--

Midnight came around faster than Tony had thought and he gently slipped Ziva into her bed. He had contemplated trying to change her out of her clothing but had opted that that was a fatal decision. He tucked her in, smiling at the cute sleeping face that was still secretly the wallpaper in his cellphone. 

He still couldn’t believe she had fallen asleep during the movie. He also couldn’t believe how much of a genderbent version of his life the movie was. That doctor was a lot like Jeanne. He shook off that thought, focusing on what was right in front of him. 

The evening had been perfect. Dinner at a fancy restaurant. A few drinks at the adjoining bar. A movie on Ziva’s couch. Cuddling. What more could a guy want from a first date? He sat down on the bed and took her hand which had landed next to her face in the pillow. 

“You’re gonna make some guy really happy,” he whispered, squeezing her hand gently. “And I’m gonna be there warning him not to hurt you. You know why? Because if anyone so much as lays a finger on you, they’ve got to answer to me. And then what’s left of them will have to answer to Gibbs. Because we all know how Gibbs is.” He chuckled, stopping when Ziva shifted around in her sleep. He loosened the grip her had on her hand, giving her space to roll it around to hold his as if she were aware of his presence. “If it’s within my power, I won’t let anyone break your heart.” He leaned down and kissed her lips softly.

Ziva stirred, pulling her hand free from his. Tony froze, waiting for the slap. It never came, instead a gentle hand landed against his cheek. He pulled back slightly to see her smile. “Thank you,” she whispered again, she leaned up to place another kiss to his lips. She flopped back down, letting her hand fall away from his cheek. “Stay here tonight.” She didn’t give him much choice, taking hold of his shirt and pulling him down onto the other side of the bed. He laid there for several minutes before she rolled over to face him. “He didn’t break my heart,” she said finally. “He just reminded me that it was still there.” 

He was stunned by her words, completely unable to think of anything he could say to that. She took this opportunity to curl up next to him and fall back asleep. He was glad she was able to, because he spent the rest of the night thinking about what she had said. And thinking that maybe that was what had happened to him as well.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You may notice the clear callbacks to Complicated (chapter 2), this is sort of meant to be a sequel to it. Set after the credits roll on the episode Dead Man Walking.


	16. Excuses

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Abby is bored so she decides to type out her list of excuses that always work on Gibbs. She gets a little off topic along the way.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The theme is Excuses  
> Featured Character: Abby

The list of Gibbs-proof excuses

By Abby Scuito

**#1. I would explain it, but you’re just going to tell me to get the point so why bother.** Every time I try to explain something in detail to Gibbs he always asks me what the point is. And whenever he asks about the details he just gets this really confused look on his face like he’s a dog trying to learn to play piano and I just feel so sorry for him. But when I start talking about the details I can’t stop and then things get super complicated and high tech. He just doesn’t understand so this excuse works well.

**#2. Computers only work so fast.** This one is great because, like I pointed out before, Gibbs doesn’t know computers. If it’s your fault something is not done then Gibbs won’t stand for it but if it’s the computer then you get the sympathetic clock’s ticking and he leaves you to work. 

**#3. I’m running on like 4 hours of sleep here, you can’t expect a lot of coherent thought.** I spend a lot of nights out so it’s natural that I don’t get enough sleep and my mouth starts prattling off things when my brain has stopped making sense of them. It’s great for getting out of things you said but didn’t mean to say in front of someone. 

**#4. I’m waiting on an e-mail, bigger files take longer to send.** Great for when you are actually waiting on a team mate but don’t want to get them in trouble. I don’t know how many times I’ve saved Tony’s or McGee’s ass by claiming I was waiting on a big file. 

**#5. It’s really hot in here, I can’t work when I’m overheating.** This will get you one of two things. Either a cool drink, in my case a Caf-Pow, or permission to wear less clothing. It may not seem like a big deal but if Director Vance were to come down to my lab and see me strutting around in my mini skirt and a tank top he would probably question me. If I have this excuse all ready then no one is arguing.

**#6. A little fun never hurt.** This one I have never had to use on Gibbs. Mostly because if I wanted to go drinking with him I can just show up in his basement. This one is usually saved for Ziva. It makes the Gibbs-proof rules because he backs me up whenever I want to do something with Ziva. Believe it or not she is the hardest person to convince to go for a girl’s night. 

**#7. I would do it for you.** Okay, I admit this one is cheap. Combine it with a puppy dog pout and you’d think I was the one running NCIS. I have never failed to get my way with this one. Actually, I really don’t need this list. I’ve never failed to get my way anyway. I wonder why that is? I mean, I’m not scary or manipulative and I’m super friendly. Everyone loves me. Maybe that’s it. I’ll have to ask everyone.


	17. Vengeance

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ducky is rambling to himself down in autopsy and can't seem to get off topic.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The theme is Vengeance  
> Featured Character: Ducky

Vengeance. It’s just violent revenge, really. Actually, there is nothing more to it than that. And the act itself is not anything of worth unless it has a reason to be. Thus what it is. Revenge, and by extension vengeance, is made not by the act nor its magnitude, but by what caused the person to contemplate the act in the first place. 

I, myself, haven’t never seen what is so delightful about seeking revenge. I find it only gives another reason to come back and bite you later. But it does fascinate me to ponder on what cause is great enough to elicit a vengeful spirit in oneself.

If an act as simple as forgetting to say thank you was enough to gain vengeance, well, there would be far more bodies on my autopsy table and far less making the mistake that landed them there. But, I suppose, that some do take such a light thing not so lightly. They are what we call overreacting. But the most you would get out of them is the silent treatment. Though, that would mean you were getting nothing at all. No matter.

All I mean is that so long as the punishment fits the proverbial crime then we need not worry ourselves with the small matters. Even the larger matters are fine if people are smart about it. I don’t mean to say that murder is ever justified, I am just staying that so long as things remain an eye for an eye and don’t go any further then we won’t have too big a mess to clean up.

Oh dear. I’m afraid this all sounds quite off. I am in no way condoning murder. Quite the opposite. People should take their problems of this nature to the police. Don’t bloody your hands when a federal agent can do it for you. Er, that is not quite it. 

As Jethro often says, I should quit while I’m ahead. I need not ramble on about a topic that I, myself, have no experience with. Why, now that I think about it, I don’t even have a story to tell on the matter. Perhaps I’m not done learning. Yes, maybe I should ask Abigail if she knows anything about vengeance. Or perhaps Anthony or Timothy. Surely Ziva must have a story or two to share. And lest I forget Jethro. Ah yes, the vengeance he carries would make for quite the tale.


	18. Love

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Gibbs' first wife reminisces about the time she met her husband and how it changed her. And, of course, how proud she is of him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The theme is Love  
> Featured Character: Shannon

It was either rule 1 or rule 3; never date a lumber jack. And he wasn’t one. But if he was, I think I would find some kind of justification to break that rule. It’s crazy that I even think about all or any of the ifs, the maybes, the could have beens. I should just keep my head in the here and the what came of it. But I still imagine. 

I always imagine. I imagine how it could have been different if just one tiny detail had been changed. Maybe we met a different day. Maybe he had grown a beard. Maybe I had cut my hair short. Would any of that matter? I don’t think so. Because no matter what I imagine, it’s still him and it’s still me. That is the one thing I never change. I have no reason to.

I admit I have no reason to wonder about the possibilities either, though I do. I have no reason to stay. No reason to pick up and follow where the wind takes me. I don’t need a reason. I’m here. I’m with him. I am certain that you could present me with a thousand reasons to stay or go but I wouldn’t bat an eye at any one of them. 

But then I wonder; what if we’d never met? Would my life have had a purpose? He is the only purpose I felt I had. And I wouldn’t change that. But what if, beyond my control, that was changed. Despite my imaginings, I cannot come up with a single idea as to what my life would be like without him.

But then I look down. And I can see his life without me. It’s doesn’t make me sad. Not even that he remarried. Knowing I get to hold a place in his heart and never have to stop looking at him makes me happy. I don’t need to be with him so long as I am with him. 

And our little girl. He’s had more than one over the years. And I feel blessed to get to be that mother figure, watching over them. I have two with me. That made him sad. To lose two of his beautiful daughters. But he knows I’ll take care of them just as well as he did. And he’s had 3 more. Loyal, grown women, whom I am proud to say are his. 

And though they don’t know I’m here; I love them very much. Love is a bit of a funny thing. It makes you do such wild things. It can make you laugh and cry. But the most magical thing it does is keep people together, no matter what.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Somehow this still makes me cry...sorry


	19. Tears

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Gibbs has a photo album documenting some of the lowest moments in his life. They are a reminder of fear and what it did to him. As time passes and he has to add more pictures, he's willing to share the tradition. And he's also willing to pass it down to the next generation. IMPLIED KATE'S DEATH

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The theme is Tears  
> Featured Characters: Gibbs, Kate, Ziva

Have you ever been too afraid to cry? Gibbs could remember a handful of times when fear had prevented crying. He kept them all documented. Special agent Caitlin Todd pulled the small photo album from where it stood out among the wood work books. She opened it up, seeing pictures of crime scenes and convicted felons.

Her brow furrowed in confusion when she saw pictures of air force one. “Gibbs!” she called over her shoulder, flipping a few more pages of the album. She turned around to see her boss entering the room. He was dressed in sweats and was wiping his hands free of paint thinner on a small towel. “What is this?”

Gibbs crossed the room to look at the photos over Kate’s shoulder. “Photo album,” he answered bluntly. “Full of bad memories.” He took it from her and paged back. He stopped on a scene of a car crash. 

Kate looked to his face, trying to gage how he felt about the bad memories he seemed so keen on holding onto. He had almost a calm expression. Like being reminded was the same as being told it never happened. “Why?” she asked, crossing her arms and shifting her weight back.

Gibbs looked up, as if pulled from a dream. He closed the album and put it back on the shelf. “To remind me,” he said cryptically. “There a reason you’re here, Kate?”

Kate took an involuntary step back and cast her gaze to the floor. “Well, I was, that is, you see…” She trailed off and began kicking her foot in small circles. She looked up through her bangs to see if she was in trouble.

Gibbs gave her an understanding smile and offered his arms open for a hug. She rushed to him, wrapping her own arms around his middle. “I get it,” he said gently, stroking her hair and rocking from side to side. “You can say it, Kate. You’re scared.”

Kate took a deep breath and stepped out of Gibbs’ embrace. “Every time I close my eyes I see his face.” She began pacing back and forth, her hands flailing wildly as she spoke. “I mean, how do I know he doesn’t know where I live? He could be watching me and I would never know. We don’t even know what he wants.” 

Gibbs caught Kate by the arm and pulled her over to the couch. He sat her down and held her hands in his lap. “He’s not getting anywhere near you. We are going to find out who this guy is and make him pay.” He released her hands and bumped her chin up. “You’re safe here, Kate.”

\--+--

“Aren’t you going home, Kate?” Tony asked as he threw his pack on. It was late and almost everyone else had left. “I get that you might still be a bit uneasy. I can drive you, if you’d like.”

“I’m fine, Tony.” Kate shook her hair, forcing a smile to ease his concern. “I just have something to finish up.” She watched as he left before letting her breath out.

“Did you really need to lie?” Kate spun around to see Gibbs standing at his desk. He had a coffee in hand, despite the time of evening, and was getting his coat on. He raised an eyebrow at Kate’s startled expression.

“I was, I…I wasn’t lying to him, Gibbs. Not…not really?” It sounded more like a question than an excuse. 

Gibbs gave a soft chuckle, taking a sip of coffee then throwing out the cup. “Why don’t you come over for dinner? We can look at the photo album again.”

\--+--

After dinner, Gibbs and Kate sat on the couch with the photo album spread across their laps. Kate studied each picture, unable to find any sort of connection of what made the bad memories or why they needed to be remembered. She finally leaned back and exhaled loudly. “I don’t get it, Gibbs. What do these pictures have in common?” She tilted her head to the side to look at him.

Gibbs was still focused on the pictures, this time it was one of the dark autopsy room. He took a sip from his glass of bourbon. “I was scared,” he said, barely audible. Kate snapped to attention, giving him a quizzical look. “That’s what they have in common. Every time I was scared.”

Kate could not wrap her head around the idea that the big, scary, papa wolf could be scared of anything. She took the album and paged through it again. A car crash, a Mexican drug lord, air force one, autopsy…then it hit her. “You were scared for me,” she whispered.

Gibbs took another sip. “You wouldn’t know it. I was too scared to cry.” He gave a dark chuckle as if it were some kind of inside joke. “Like today.”

Kate looked at him, horror written on her face. She opened and closed her mouth several times before just throwing herself at her boss and hugging him tightly. “I was scared I’d never see you again,” she whispered into his ear.

Gibbs smiled and kissed Kate’s cheek. “We need to add today’s picture to the album.” He held out a glue stick and a photo of the spot where Kate had sat with Ari. “Will you do the honors?”

\--+--

“What is this?” Ziva asked for probably the hundredth time in the short time they had been camped out. Gibbs was trying his best to be patient with the foreign officer but her curious nature reminded him of a certain cat. He looked up to see her holding a familiar small book.

He patted the couch next to him. “Come sit,” he instructed. Ziva carefully picked her way over, using more caution than would ever be necessary. He took the book as she sat and opened it up. “This,” he flipped passed the car crash and the drug dealer, hesitating slightly on autopsy and the picnic table, before coming to a full stop on the last page, “is a documentation of every time I was afraid. Be it for myself or someone else.” He cupped her knee. “There will be pictures for you in here someday.” 

Ziva looked at him puzzled. She could not wrap her head around the significance of this practice. She looked at the only picture on the page. It was of a roof top, nothing special about it. Just a roof top. She scanned the photo for anything that might give it meaning. Nothing. “I do not understand.” 

He took her hand in his and brought it up to his face. He breathed in her scent before kissing her knuckles. “You will.”


	20. My Inspiration

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kelly recounts her end and how her father dealt with it. Told in the form of a poem.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The theme is My Inspiration  
> Featured Character: Kelly

I died  
When I was eight years of age  
No reason why  
That I could convey

He wasn’t there  
To watch me go  
For me he wept  
And a change did he undergo

No longer  
Just a humble man  
Brave and true  
He took the stand

Sought out the man  
Whom did wrong  
And shot him down  
From fifty two miles long

He cried  
For the lose of us  
And looked up to the sky  
It should have been me  
Who died that day

He wiped his tears  
And made a vow  
I will make things right  
Put away those who harm  
And always win the fight

I want to tell him  
Not to worry  
That I am safe and sound  
But doubt  
I have  
That he would listen  
For to his duty he is bound

But papa if you hear me  
From wherever you may be  
Just listen to what I have to say  
And know it comes from me

Hold me close forever  
And never let me go  
My heart will always be with you  
Though I’m in the ground below

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Why do I subject you to this. The last two stanzas are the only part of this I really like


	21. Never Again

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Fornell makes a list of all the things he would never want to do again. He had a little push to do it though.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The theme is Never Again  
> Featured Character: Tobias Fornell

FBI Agent Fornell’s List of Things He Will Never do Again

**#1: Get Married.** I’m sure Gibbs covers this somewhere in his rules but I’m just going to say it again. I made the mistake of marrying his second ex-wife and I am never going to do that again. There was a reason he divorced her and I should have learned from his mistakes. 

**#2: Hang Myself.** It was not a pleasant experience, even if it was fake and all for show. Gave me a wicked headache the next day and a kink in my neck that I’m still working out. If I ever need to fake my own death again then I’ll go for the Romeo and Juliet method, thank you very much.

**#3: Take Your Kid to Work Day.** I’m not saying the Emily isn’t a little angel and that I don’t want to keep her with me all the time. I’m just saying that every time she even comes to visit me at the office I want to set the place on threat level red and go into lockdown so I know she’s safe. I guess that’s a case of me learning from Gibbs’ mistakes.

**#4: Drinking with DiNozzo.** Just a bad idea. That guy drinks the kind of things you’d expect a high school girl to be throwing back. And the alcohol tolerance on him is laughable. He suckers people like me and Agent David into drinking with him so that he’ll have a ride home. I swear that is the only reason.

**#5: Sparing with Agent David.** Never underestimate a woman. That is what I have learned from Agent David. She doesn’t go easy on anyone. I’m not even sure she knows how. I was so sore and bruised up that I took the week off after an hour in the gym with her. The only good that came of it was a) getting to spend the week with Emily, and b) knowing who I to watch my back on a joint investigation.

**#6: That Damn Boat.** I don’t even know how to explain this one. Every time I go to Gibbs to talk he ends up suckering me into helping with that damn boat. And don’t even get me started on getting it out of his basement. And even after it’s gone, it still manages to be a thorn in my side. If I never seen it again it will be too soon.

**#7: Antagonizing a Member of “Team Gibbs”.** He may not seem it, but Gibbs will never let anything happen to a member of his team. And to take things a step further, Abby won’t either. Frankly, I’m not sure who I’m more afraid of…well, I think its clear seeing as I am making this list.

**#8: Question Gibbs’ Famous List of Rules.** You doubt the legitimacy of his gut once and he won’t let you live it down. You doubt the rules once and they find their own way to bite you in the butt. How do you explain something that seems so random working like clockwork? 

**#9: Allowing an Undercover Agent Near NCIS.** I thought it was just a fluke with Ari. Turns out I was wrong. Any undercover agent any agency has should stay far away from NCIS. Gibbs never took kindly to outsiders but he takes even less nicely to people who are being paid to play both sides. It doesn’t help any if they start trying to pick up a member of his team.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I would like to promise no more chapters like this...but I can't


	22. Online

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> McGee keeps a third person log of his day. Or a third person log of his day is kept. Even the author is not sure. But something mysterious happens to make it less than ordinary. Kate Lives

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The theme is Online  
> Featured Character: McGee

[7:45 am]

McGee signed into his e-mail account. He looked at the full inbox of bills and promotions with the same sleepy expression he viewed everything that morning. He was running late. A very un-McGee thing to be doing. To be exact, he was running 24 minutes and 52 seconds late. It was not his morning. 

[8:13 am]

McGee got his jacket snagged on the elevator door. After much ridicule from Tony, he was set free and continued on to his desk. There was super glue waiting on his key board and tacks on his chair. Ziva was nowhere to be seen. 

[8:57 am]

Gibbs entered the office from MTAC barking about a computer failure. He tells McGee that a fuse blew or something before ushering him up to MTAC to assess the damage. After a quick look, he was able to determine that a router got unplugged. He plugged it back in and MTAC was back online.

[9:50 am]

A call is received from Norfolk about a missing petty officer. McGee and Tony gear up and join Gibbs at the elevator. Ziva is still a no show and Tony is instructed to contact her. Throughout the elevator ride, Tony made 4 calls to Ziva with no answer. Concern begins to grow.

[10:05 am]

In the car, on the way to Norfolk, a call is received by Tony. Ziva, explaining that her car did not start. She is filled in that they are headed to Norfolk and that she should wait for instructions from the office. She was not pleased but did not argue.

[11:00 am]

A call from Norfolk, the petty officer showed up. Dead. A phone call later and Ducky was on the road to assist them. Tony and McGee began brainstorming possible reasons for the petty officer to disappear then reappear lacking life. Gibbs is not pleased.

[3:48 pm]

The return to NCIS HQ was a breath of fresh air for the occupants of Gibbs’ car. The ride back consisted of Gibbs scolding Ziva for disobeying a direct order by catching a ride with Ducky. Things got particularly messy when Director Vance got involved when the entered the navy yard.

[4:21 pm]

Gibbs returned from the director’s office in a foul mood. Tony and McGee made a hasty exit to check with Abby for any progress. His voice carried to the elevator door as it shut, clearly expressing his anger at being out ranked on his own team.

[4:29 pm]

Abby had nothing when McGee and Tony entered her lab but several minutes of stalling was rewarded by the customary ding. Fingerprints and gun license show that the murder weapon belonged to the dead petty officer. Their murder investigation was, in fact, a suicide.

[7:28 pm]

McGee started up his personal laptop after a long day at the office. Frankly, he didn’t remember turning it off that morning. He logged in and opened his e-mail, looking to see that his inbox was cleared. He knew he did not read any of his e-mails that morning due to running late. His brow furrowed and he tapped his head as if to provoke thought.

[8:01 pm]

McGee found the log that showed when his computer was in use throughout the day. It was accessed at 1:23 pm that afternoon, at which point he was at the crime scene. He reached for his phone and hit the speed dial. “Hello, boss? Someone was in my apartment while we were at the crime scene today.” 

[8:09 pm]

Gibbs was working on his boat when his phone rang. “Yeah, Gibbs,” he answered it in the usual manner. “What is it, McGee?” He waited to hear what the probie had to say. Right after he got the last word out, the line went dead. Gibbs looked at his phone, the battery was dead.

[8:13 pm]

McGee looked at his own dead cell phone and felt uneasy. He only knew a select few people who could have gotten into his computer. He reached for the land line and dialed a few numbers before realizing he needed his cell phone to look up the rest.

[8:37 pm] 

McGee has decided he is overreacting to a very small situation. He opens his laptop back up and logs into his favourite website. After selecting his usual class and avatar, he enters a game to find a message waiting in his chat box. ‘Sorry to stop by unannounced. Needed a place to shower and check my e-mail. Organized yours before I left. Sorry to spook you. –Kate’

[9:02 pm]

Gibbs burst through the door to find McGee staring at his computer screen with the face of someone who had just seen a ghost. “What is wrong with you, McGee?” Gibbs gave him a customary slap to the head. 

“S-sorry, boss.” He couldn’t find any other words so gestured to the messaged typed out and sent to himself. Gibbs paled when he read it. 

“We don’t tell anyone,” Gibbs stated, his expression turning grave. He clicked the little x next to the message and saw the window open up asking if he wanted to delete it.

McGee hit ok, the message disappearing forever. “So, she was really here, then?” He looked up to his boss who had his eyes cast to the window. McGee followed his gaze, seeing nothing but his reflection. He decided, without needing Gibbs’ confirmation, that it was better if they didn’t know at all.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hated this chapter when I originally wrote it. I don't hate it now. Sure it's awkward and there is no rhyme or reason it should be in the third person but it is.


	23. Failure

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Gibbs tells Director Vance about his first failure and what it made him. The men have a drink and laugh about the bluntness of the situation between them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The theme is Failure  
> Featured Character(s): Gibbs, Leon Vance, Mike Franks

“I don’t know if all of my successes can outweigh the failures I’ve racked up enough to keep me in the chair much longer.” Leon adjusted his cuffs as he often did when he was nervous. 

Gibbs gave one of his sarcastic smiles and a hard little laugh. “It’s not success that make a man, Leon. It’s the failures he rises above.” 

Leon froze, mid-adjust to give Gibbs a good, long look. “Now where did you hear that from? I could swear I’ve heard you say that before.”

Gibbs shrugged. “Probably have. I heard it a lot when I first started at NIS.” 

\--+--

“Back again, Marine?” Mike Franks asked the young man whom had just entered his office. He looked over the boy previously decked out in military regalia, now dressed like any other civilian his age.

Young Leroy Jethro Gibbs gave a small smile. “Not anymore.” He spoke clearly, slowly approaching Franks’ desk. “It’s done.”

Franks leaned back in his chair. “Not what I heard.” He looked the boy up and down. “No such thing as an ex-marine. That’s forever.” He raised an eyebrow, as if asking for confirmation.

Jethro gave a little laugh and nodded his head. “Right.”

Franks shook his head. “Not even gonna ask where you’ve been.” He leaned forward and started pushing paper around his desk. “Guess the question is: where are you going.”

Jethro kicked the corner of the desk, harder than he intended, sending a page or two to the ground. “I don’t know,” he admitted.

Franks got up and walked around the younger man, carefully avoid the fallen paper. “Look at you,” he was calm, no hint of malice in his voice, “all self-loathing and misery.” He bent down to get the papers and stopped at eye level with Jethro. “You make me sick.” He threw the papers back onto his desk. “Come here to mope?”

Before he could add anything else, Jethro smiled and looked him right in the eye. “Nope.” He smiled at him in the stunned silence for a moment. “Came for a job.”

“My god.” Franks covered his mouth with his hand as if he had just seen something horrific. He walked back to his chair, bracing himself as he sat. “You really want to be a cop,” he began ruffling papers again, “you got to let a lot of old stuff go, learn a lot of new stuff to take its place.” He paused his ruffling and looked back up. “Think you can do that?”

Jethro didn’t hesitate a moment, looking Franks right in the eye and smiling. “I think I’d be a good cop.” Franks smiled and nodded approval.

\--+--

Jethro shook, gun still drawn out in front of him. His hands were trembling so much that, had he been conscious of his own body, he would have barely believed he could still hold the metal death machine. His eyes were unfocused, glazed over in terror. 

At the other end of his cross hairs was a young naval officer. The bullet had hit its mark; his heart. It had been different, shooting people down in battle. Somehow, this didn’t feel like he was on the good side anymore. 

A hand came down on Jethro’s shoulder, his head snapping around to see Franks looking at him with an emotionless gaze. “Boss,” he barely managed to get out.

Franks shook his head. “It’s alright, Probie,” he said as comforting as he could.

“I-I screwed up, Boss.” Jethro looked like he wanted to cry. His gun felt to the ground and he turned on Franks, stumbling backwards until he fell over the body of his victim. His hands landed in the boy’s blood, a sharp gasp escaping his lips and he clambered back to his feet quickly. He looked from his stained hands to Franks’ face. “It’s not alright,” he whispered.

Franks held a hand to his ear, emphasizing that that he could not hear the probationary agent. “Gonna have to speak up, Probie. That or come closer.”

Jethro’s gaze had fallen back to his hands, he raised his head back up and anger filled him. “It’s not alright, Franks! I killed a man! An innocent man! How am I supposed to sleep tonight? Or ever again? I get rid of one problem and another arises!” He huffed a few times, apparently having gotten that out of his system.

Franks stuck his right hand in his pocket and scratched his mustache with his left. “Now listen, Probie.” He held his hand out, as if he were a magician releasing a dove. “It’s part of the job. You go out there every day knowing it could be you or the other guy. You just gotta live with it when it’s not you.” 

Jethro stepped away from the body, looking back over his shoulder every couple steps, hoping he would wake up from the nightmare. When he stood in front of Franks he looked him right in the eyes. “Does it get any easier?” His voice was barely more than breath.

Franks clamped his hands over Jethro’s shoulders. “Not that I know,” he said sadly. “But you gotta know something, Probie.” He waited until he got a slow nod to go on. “It’s not the success that makes a man; it’s the failures he rises above.” Franks gave a goofy smile. “And I see a lot of failures in your future, Probie.”

\--+--

“You ever tell anyone else that story?” Leon laughed at how little faith Franks had in the current best agent at NCIS. 

Gibbs thought for a moment, sipping at the glass of bourbon that had made its way into his hand during the course of the story. “Yeah. Two others.”

The sadness in Gibbs’ voice made Leon straighten his stance. “Who?” His brow furrowed and he placed his own glass on the desk to cross his arms over his chest.

Gibbs looked thoughtfully into his glass. “Well, Jenny heard it in Paris while we were on opp.” He swirled the amber liquid around.

Leon took a step forward, uncrossing his arms and letting them fall back down. “And who was the other? Must have been a hell of a woman to get it out of you after you told Shepard.”

Gibbs smiled and took the last sip of his bourbon. “Oh, she was.” He looked up to Leon, gauging if he was ready to hear it. “The only other person to hear that story.” He shrugged and set the empty glass down on a stack of files. “She was going through the same thing I was, during that story. I told Special Agent Caitlin Todd when she was the cop half of her first suicide by cop.”

Leon took his drink back in his hand and downed it. “Let me get one thing straight,” he looked at the empty glass as if it would magically refill itself in his hand. He turned his eyes up to Gibbs to see his patient expression wearing, “every person who has heard that story has ended up dead.”

Gibbs gave the same smile he had started the conversation with. “Yeah, but,” he lifted his own empty glass back up, “they’ve also all been women.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I labeled this as out of character when I first wrote it, I do not feel that label applies but I could be wrong.


	24. Rebirth

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The soul of Gibbs' team is represented by the phoenix, the mythical bird that can reincarnate from it's own ashes, much like NCIS has over the years.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The theme is Rebirth  
> There is no featured character

Like a Phoenix  
From ashen fall  
We must be reborn anew

Old mistakes  
New ones are made  
But still our fire is strong

A feather here  
Some left behind  
But felt and mourned forever

Born of fire  
Forged by time  
We are few and far between

Nothing but the bond we have  
Can stand the test of time

We take care  
Follow rules  
As mighty as can be

We are no hero  
Silent warriors  
Defending what is right

We take no credit  
For good or bad  
We cannot change the facts

With every rank that falls  
A new bird rises  
Strong

To fill the gap  
Not the hole  
We cannot be replaced

Last breath of life  
Embers die  
All the world goes dark

Again we rise  
Bursting forth  
To finish up the fight.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is not a good poem. It's also too vague.


	25. Breaking Away

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The spring break that Kate won her wet tee shirt contest. It was quite the night. In that night alone, she made some of her best and worst college memories.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The theme is Breaking Away  
> Featured Character: Kate

Twenty four year old Caitlin Todd slung back another shot amidst the chaos that was her senior year spring break. Somehow, her roommate had convinced her to go down to Panama City with some friends. Kate wasn’t big on partying or drinking but she was making the best of the situation. 

“Come on, Kate! Laura is gonna enter in a wet tee shirt contest, let’s join her!” her roommate shouted over the loud music. Kate didn’t get a chance to protest as she was dragged through the crowd and out the back doors to where the party continued into a barbeque. 

Men cheered as the college girls took turns being sprayed with a hose, or the wilder ones having beer poured over them. Kate shied away until her roommate did the honor of pouring the ice water the beers had been in over her dark brown hair. Kate bit her tongue to keep from profanities spilling out at the frigid water making contact with her skin.

Silence rolled over the crowd before the boys erupted into a unanimous cheer. “You won, Kate! Who knew you had such a smokin’ bod’?” Her roommate threw her arms around her as she shivered and posed her up for the pictures. “Smile, Kate!” she yelled from the side lines. Kate smiled and helplessly pulled her shirt down over her dripping bikini bottoms. 

As soon as the flashes stopped, Kate disappeared into the crowd and back into the building. She entered the co-ed washrooms with her tote bag in hand, throwing it down on the counter to begin searching through it for dry clothes. “Stupid!” She mumbled harsher words unintelligibly. “How could I let her convince me of this? And this stupid bikini!” She searched harder for her clothes.

“And that’s when I said ‘honey, if I’m fly them you’re the breeze I glide on.’” Kate looked up to see a group of what she assumed were fraternity boys walking in triumphantly. She ducked her head as the leaned against the far wall. “They don’t call me Ladykiller for nothing.” The boy talking gave a gravely laugh.

Out of the corner of her eye, Kate watched one of the other boys punch the boaster decently hard in the shoulder. “No way, DiNoze! The day you get a fly girl is the day the world ends!” The other boys burst out laughing, slapping ‘DiNoze’ on the back.

“Yeah?” DiNoze asked his buddies. “What about her? She’s a pretty little thing. I get her to come home with me and you guys gotta cover my tab for the rest of the week.” Kate ducked her head when she realized he was referring to her. He sauntered over to her, her face slowly turning red as she felt his approach, and her hand closed tightly around her clothes which she had finally found. “Hey there, sweetheart, what’s your name?”

Kate cast her gaze over to him through her hair. Up close, he was older than she had initially thought, but he wasn’t bad looking. “I-I’m Caitlin.” She ran her hand along the side of her face to push her hair behind her ear.

DiNoze made a dreamy face. “Caitlin.” He said in an equally dreamy voice. “Can I call you Katie?”

Kate blushed and gave a quick little nod. “Can…can I change into dry clothes before we continue this conversation?” She gestured to the stall. “My roommate is a total jerk and dump a tub of ice water on me.”

DiNoze smiled and stepped aside. Kate took her clothes into the stall and came out in a nice skirt and blouse with neat flats in place of her platform flip-flops. DiNoze had to force his mouth shut when she approached him with her shy smile. “I thought you were pretty before.” He sounded dumbfounded. “Now I’m obligated to ask if the fall from heaven hurt.” He offered her his arm and led her back out into the bar.

They picked a booth, away from where Kate’s friends were, and sat there sort of awkwardly. ‘What do I do? He’s super sweet but he wants to take me home as part of a fraternity bet.’ Kate fidgeted awkwardly until the waitress came over, bringing them both a fresh glass of what they had each been drinking throughout the evening.

“So, Katie,” DiNoze spoke loud enough that Kate could hear him but not so loud as to scare her. “What brings you to Panama City?”

Kate sipped at her drink, thankful the waitress had switched out the vodka for soda water. “Just here on spring break. It’s my last year at college and my roommate wouldn’t let me spend the week studying.”

DiNoze laughed, taking a hardy gulp of his drink. “Yeah, I wouldn’t let you waste the week studying either.” He set his glass down and his expression changed to something softer. “Listen, Katie. What my friends said, don’t worry about it, okay? I only pointed you out because it looked like you were having a lousy time and I wanted to see you smile.” He reached over and took her hand. “I promise, that is the only reason.”

Kate smiled and rolled her hand over to hold his. “Thank you. I was having a lousy time. To be honest, I didn’t want to be here in the first place.” She wiped her free hand over her face to catch her tears and they started. 

“Hey, you jerk! What did you do to our friend?” Kate looked up to see her roommate and the other girls they had come with standing at the edge of the table glaring at DiNoze. “Are you alright, Kate? Is this creep bothering you?”

Kate rubbed her eyes again quickly and flashed them a not so convincing smile. “No, no. I’m fine. Just a little overwhelmed.” She looked over at DiNoze, who was avoiding eye contact with the hostile girls. 

Her roommate made a disbelieving face before grabbing Kate by the hand and dragging her up from the booth. “Don’t be ridiculous, Kate! This guy is just trying to get with you. He’ll say anything to make you feel special.” She sneered and tossed Kate into the center of their posse. “Look at him, he’s an old man looking to catch a deer and destroy her. Good thing we got here in time.”

The girls started walking away, Kate helplessly in the middle and unable to break free. DiNoze stood up. “Hey!” he shouted, causing everyone in the bar to look his way. “You can’t just take her if she doesn’t want to go! That would be kidnapping and I would have every right to call the cops!”

“Oh, like you’re mister self-righteous! What were you going to do when she wanted to leave? Slip something in her drink and take her home? I won’t let something like that happen to my friend!” Her roommate put a defensive arm in front of Kate, making Kate feel like an object instead of a person.

DiNoze scoffed and slammed his hand down on the table. “You must be one twisted sister to think that all guys are like that. And you sure aren’t acting like a friend. Katie said she was fine and that should be good enough! You should let her decide if she wants to stay or go!”

Kate took the moment of shock that had frozen her so called friends to dash over and stand behind her savior. The girls recomposed themselves before beginning to laugh. “Katie?” the roommate burst out, barely able to contain how funny she found it. “You let some guy you just met call you Katie? Wow! Are you trying to make yourself seem easy?”

DiNoze picked up his glass and clenched his fist around it. Kate was surprised that the glass didn’t break and also that he didn’t immediately throw it at the girls. He took a deep breath before putting it down and turning to look at Kate. “What would you like to do?”

Kate offered a half smile. “Let’s go back to your place. I think I’d feel safer spending the night with you.”

DiNoze nodded and led her out to the parking lot. They hopped into his car and drove to a motel down the street. His room was #4 and it was surprisingly clean. He walked over to the mini bar and pulled out two sodas and a candy bar. “You okay, Katie?”

Kate took the soda he offered and sat on the end of the bed. “Yeah, thanks. Look, I’m sorry to impose like this.” She looked up at him and just smiled for several minutes. 

“What? Is there something on my face?” he asked cornily. He jokingly patted around his face as if there was something stuck to it. Kate laughed at how silly he was being for her sake.

She stood up and touched his face, pulling a small piece of lemon rind from his cheek. “Got it,” she said sweetly. She tossed it from where she stood, just narrowly making the shot, and sat back down on the bed. “You’re a really great guy. You’re selfless, brave, handsome. Everything prince charming should be. Maybe, if I knew where I was going…”

DiNoze put his finger to her lips. “No. You’re the amazing person. After everything you’ve been through tonight you are still kind and considerate of others. The president would be lucky to have you work for him. I don’t know how I scored this big on the lottery of life. Katie, you’re going to be someone. Don’t let anyone hold you back.”

Kate smiled, beyond thankful for this man who had unknowingly set her on the right track and free from the life she was previously stuck in. She never felt like she thanked him enough. He was the kindest person she had ever met and the only person she had ever allowed to call her Katie.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yes, that was supposed to be Tony. I like to imagine that he never put two and two together. And that Kate didn't realize it either, what with the way they fight in canon.


	26. Forever and a Day

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jenny and Gibbs meet for the first time on their opp in Paris. The two are reluctant to work together and a little hostile. What does it take for the special agents to warm up to each other?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The theme is Forever and a Day  
> Featured Character(s): Gibbs, Jenny

Jenny Shepard cast her eyes around the small apartment. Despite the beautiful city they were in, all she could see was the negatives. Perhaps it was the means by which they were there. Assassination. She had barely ever shot a gun before. Now she was expected to do it covertly?

She placed her small duffle bag under the window and pushed the shutters open to look out at the city of love. She hugged her elbows and leaned against the sill, trying her best to distract herself from what she was expected to do. 

A quick rap on the door pulled her from her thoughts. She darted across the room to let Agent Leroy Jethro Gibbs in. The man had a reputation. And though she had not worked with him before, she dreaded sharing the apartment with him.

“I know you have your rules, Agent Gibbs, but I just have one.” Jenny had her back to Gibbs, slowly pulling something from the side pocket of her bag. She turned around and flipped the butterfly knife open. “Stay out of my space.”

Gibbs laughed, completely disregarding the rule and stepping right up to Jenny. “Rule number twelve. Never get involved with a co-worker.” He caught her wrist and pulled the knife free. “You won’t be needing this.”

Jenny glared up at him, not unlike how a little sister may look at her older brother when he held something out of her reach. “You’re right.” She gave a snarky little smirk. “Because if you try anything then Agent Decker will have to get involved.”

Gibbs held up his hands in defeat, clearly not wanting to get their handler involved until it was absolutely crucial for the opp. Gibbs placed his own bag next to the bed and walked back over to the door, leaving the knife on the table. “I’m going to go for a walk, let you get settled in.”

Jenny picked up her coat from where she had discarded it on the bed and walked right up to him, looking very determined. “Well, I don’t trust you. I’m coming, too.”

Gibbs laughed and opened the door, making a ladies first gesture. “How do you know that’s not what I want?” he teased as she walked passed him and waited just outside for him to lock the door.

She huffed and crossed her arms. “Well, maybe I want you to want me to come,” she countered, chasing after him when he didn’t stop after locking the door. “You’re the type of person where you always have to have your way, aren’t you?”

Gibbs stopped at the end of the hallway and smiled a side smile, turning around to face Jenny. “No,” he said, sounding very happy with himself. “But it never hurt.”

\--+--

Jenny laughed, stumbling to the side right into Gibbs and nearly dumping her ice cream on him. He steadied her, laughing all the while as well. He pulled out the key and unlocked their apartment. Then, to Jenny’s surprise, he scooped her up and carried her bridal style to the bed. She laughed wildly as he set her down. “You’re gonna make me drop my ice cream,” she practically squealed in delight.

Gibbs sat down next to her and jokingly took a bite of the ice cream she was holding. She gawked at him as he did it, giving her a cheesy smile. “There,” he licked his lips, “less to drop.”

Jenny looked at him like he was crazy, then transformed the look into a gently, yet calculating, smile. “You know something, Jethro?” She took his hand with her free one. “I could see myself spending forever with you.”

Jethro mirrored her smile, getting up and pouring two glasses of bourbon and bringing them back to the bed. He handed one to Jenny, holding the other out to clink for a toast. He smiled and raised his glass. “Let’s make it forever and a day.” 

Jenny raised her glass as well and tapped it to his. “Forever and a day it is.”


	27. Lost and Found

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tony has lost something greatly important to him and feels consumed with guilt because of it. Ziva does not understand what is so important or what the big deal is. Sequel to Making History.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The theme is Lost and Found  
> Featured Character(s): Tony, McGee, Ziva, Abby, Gibbs

Tony dumped the last of his desk drawers out onto the top of the desk itself. “Where is it?” He began running his hand over the pile, thinning it out and looking in all the spaces between. “McGee! Have you seen it? I can’t find it! She’d kill me if I lost it!”

McGee looked over at his partner, confusion scrunching up his expression. “What of Ziva’s did you lose?” he asked, getting up and taking a few steps over.

Tony shook his head, continuing to dig through all the crap on his desk. “Not Ziva’s.” He pushed things onto the floor, almost looking like he was separating things into categories.

“Abby’s?” McGee took another guess. “Agent Barrett’s? There aren’t a lot of ‘shes’ around here that will kill you for losing something.”

Tony shook his head again. “She’s not here,” he muttered. “Neither is it. Dammit!” He slammed his fist down on the surface, making everything jump and causing the cup holding pencils to fall over. 

“Who is not here, Tony?” Ziva threw her bag down next to her desk and sat, folding her hands and resting her chin on them. “And why, exactly, is she going to kill you?”

Tony sighed and walked right up to Ziva’s desk. “First of all, Ziva, it is just a figure of speech. She wouldn’t actually kill me nor is she in any state to try.” He gave a little huff. “I lost something she gave me, it was important.”

Ziva cast her eyes over Tony’s shoulder, first assessing the damage that was his desk, then following to McGee who looked like he had just gotten a joke. “You know what he is talking about, McGee?”

McGee snapped out of his daze when Ziva said his name, he jumped into action and took to shifting through the things on Tony’s desk. “Yes, I do. And it _is_ really important.” He bent down to sift through the things that had fallen. “How could you lose it, Tony?”

Tony came back over to McGee and started actually separating the things on the desk. “I don’t know. I feel awful about it.” 

“About what?” Abby bounced over from the elevator. She was carrying an open container of cookies which she offered around.

Ziva took one for each of them and bit into one. “Tony lost _it_. Although, I do not know what _it_ is. They will not tell me.” She gestured accusingly to the boys who seemed to have not noticed Abby.

Abby came over and slammed the container down on Tony’s desk, right in the middle of all their work. “What did you lose, Tony?” They both looked up at her with expectant looks on their faces. Abby stared at them confused before being enlightened. “Oh!” Her face turned to frustration. “How could you lose it?”

“I don’t know!” Tony threw his hands up, feeling beyond frustrated and overwhelmed by all the pressure his friends were putting on him. “It was here last night. I put it away like I always do.”

“Will somebody please tell me what _it_ is!?” Ziva stood up, looking just as frustrated as the rest of them. “Maybe I can help. I was here late last night. Maybe I saw what happened to _it_.”

Tony was about to answer when Gibbs marched in. “Grab your gear!” He took a cookie and pecked Abby’s cheek as he passed and did the same on the way back. “What are you doing up here, Abbs?”

Abby gave a pressed smile. “Just sharing the wealth, Gibbs. And helping Tony…”

She was cut off by an annoyed sound from Ziva. All eyes jumped over to see she had gotten her bag caught between the desk and the filing cabinet and it was not moving. Gibbs raised his eyebrow, making no move to help the former Mossad officer. “Coming, Ziver?” he asked jokingly.

Ziva looked up to see everyone staring at her. Her shoulders dropped and she crossed her arms, stamping her foot a little, like a small child. “Would one of you close your mouths and help me?” McGee recovered and ran over to try and move the filing cabinet, unsuccessfully, and then the desk, with a little more luck. “Thank you, McGee.” She nodded to him as she pulled the bag free.

“Boss, I can’t.” Gibbs looked at Tony as if he had grown a second head. “I need to be punished for my crime. I’ll stay here and do paper work.” He hung his head, evidently admitting defeat.

Gibbs smacked the back of his head. “I’ll be the one to decide that.” He waited for the senior field agent to make eye contact. “What’d you do?”

Ziva raised an eyebrow, which Tony saw out of the corner of his eye. “I was trying to be extra careful. I swear, it never left my sight. But I can’t-”

He was cut off by Abby placing a hand on Gibbs’ shoulder. “He lost Kate’s pencil, Gibbs. We were all looking for it.” She looked sad, like she was in trouble. 

Gibbs looked angry, which surprised Ziva. “Is that all? Just a pencil?” She pulled open a drawer of her desk. “I can give you a pencil, Tony. Why make a big mess over this one?”

Abby’s brow furrowed and she walked over to tower over Ziva. “The fuss is that this pencil belonged to Kate! It’s irreplaceable! It was the pencil that she did her sketching with!” Abby stormed over the Gibbs’ desk and yanked open the bottom drawer when Kate’s sketchbook lived, pulled it out, and stormed back over to Ziva. She slammed the book down before the Israeli woman. “Tell me what’s in there isn’t special!”

Ziva pulled open the sketch pad calmly and flipped through the pages. Shock made itself known on her face. She took a deep breath and closed the book, casting her eyes back up at Abby. “They are breathtaking. But it was the person who drew them, not the pencil, which makes them special. You do not actually believe it is a magic pencil, do you?”

Tony pushed passed Abby and slammed his hand on Ziva’s desk. “It may not have been magic but it was special! Not because it created those sketches but because it aided Kate in creating them! She refused to draw with anything else! You could never understand what that pencil meant to her!”

Ziva just stared at him like he had struck her. Tony had gotten annoyed with her, sure, but he had never shouted in the squad room before. “Tony, I am sorry.” She began blindly digging through her drawer and produced a seemingly mundane pencil. 

Tony looked like he really did want to hit her until he saw the pencil. “Where did you find it?” He practically gasped. He scrambled to grab the object, taking Ziva’s hand with it. 

Ziva was surprised. “It had rolled under my desk. I found it this morning when I got in.” She was surprised at how mundane the ‘magic pencil’ actually was.

McGee looked impressed. “That’s exactly where it was that time Kate lost it.” He came over to examine the pencil, not believing it was that simple. “That’s definitely it.”

Tony help the pencil up to the light, freeing Ziva’s hand, and carried it back to his desk like it was the Holy Grail. “Ziva.” He looked back once the pencil was safe back on his keyboard. “I think I love you.”

Ziva rolled her eyes. “All of this, over a pencil.” She sighed. Nothing about this was normal, and she felt that it would never get any better, either.


	28. Light

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Gibbs shows up at Allison's apartment with some disturbing news and at an early hour no less. Can they put aside their differences to put the person behind it all away? Part 1/2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The theme is Light  
> Featured Character: M Allison Hart

The ponding intensified. Allison gave a groan and forced her hand out from under the cover and began groping around in search of her other pillow. She was about 90% sure it was just a headache from the events of the previous day, the other 10% wanted to drown out the rest of the world to be safe. She found the other pillow and flipped it onto her head, holding it in place with both hands as she rubbed her nose into the pillow below her. 

A with the pounding dealt with, a buzzing set in to replace it. It stopped after a moment and was followed by a moment of blissful silence before it began again. Allison sighed and reached out and slammed her hand on her nightstand. She proceeded to inch her fingers along until her cell phone vibrated into reach. She pulled the offending technology under the pillow with her and peeked at the caller ID. She then threw the phone open and hit the talk button. “It’s 5 am, Mr. Gibbs. Can this wait until a more suitable hour?” she mumbled into the receiver, not trying in the slightest to hide her annoyance or grogginess.

“Open the door, Allison,” Gibbs said calmly. Allison’s eyes shot open and she was out of bed and tearing through the apartment to twist the lock and throw open her front door. “That was fast,” Gibbs laughed, hanging up and giving the defense attorney a teasing smile.

“What are you doing here?” She placed her hands on her hips, blocking his entry into her home. “And more importantly, how did you find me?”

Gibbs raised an eyebrow, then looked back over his shoulder down the hall. “May I come in?” He looked down at her, taking in her long tee shirt and the hint of her panties visible on the side. 

Allison followed his eyes, a sharp little gasp escaping her lips as she yanked at the hem of her shirt. She stepped to the side, slamming the door and narrowly hitting Gibbs. Gibbs walked through the spacious apartment, taking in the décor as well as anything he could gather on the woman who lived there. Allison hurried passed him to the bedroom to rescue a pair of sweatpants from the hamper. She pulled them on, not bothering with the door. “Are you going to tell me why you’re here or are you too busy admiring the scenery?”

Gibbs stopped observing, changing his point of focus to his hostess. “You took on Adrian Machiavelli as a client a couple of days ago. He received this,” he held up an evidence bag with a hand written letter in it, “this morning. It’s a threat.”

Allison took the evidence bag and read the letter through the plastic. “And when was I going to be informed of this? Since when can you just bypass me and speak to my client?” She cast angry eyes up at the special agent.

“The man Machiavelli is being commissioned to kill, if you can call it that, is already dead. Petty Officer First Class Keith Martin was found behind a bar last night, 12 hours before your client received that letter.” He had walked over to the kitchen, making himself right at home and looking for the coffee filters.

“Okay.” Allison walked over, throwing the letter down on the counter and pulling open a cupboard to expose the filters. “What does this have to do with me? Sure, it was my client, but he was going to walk because he’s being wrongly accused. Are you just here to deliver the proof that he’s innocent? That’s not very like you, Mr. Gibbs.”

Gibbs finished setting up the coffee machine, hitting start and hearing the water begin to boil, before fishing another evidence bag out of his jacket. “This was waiting on my door step when I got the call this morning.” He handed it to her. 

Allison looked like she had seen a ghost, her face paled and she gripped the counter for support. In the bag was a picture of her, taken candid at a coffee shop down the street from her apartment, with the words ‘she’s next’ written across it, from the bottom left corner up, in red sharpie. “This wasn’t a coincidence.”

“No such thing,” Gibbs confirmed. He moved around the kitchen, looking for mugs, and let Allison come to terms with the situation. 

She suddenly snapped out of her daze and made a beeline for the bedroom. This time she closed the door, loudly, and pulled a small suitcase from under her bed. She looked at the bed, internally debating leaving it that way, before sighing and letting her perfectionist nature make the bed as if it were in a hotel. 

Satisfied with the fold on her quilt and placement of her pillows, she then set the suitcase on the mattress and opened it up. She looked at the existing contents; an extra toothbrush and hair brush, other necessary toiletries, an extra phone charger, a notebook, an address book that she questioned the accuracy of, and an uncut key. She pulled open the drawer of her nightstand and added her diary then walked over to the dresser and pulled out a clean tee shirt and another pair of sweatpants. She pulled out the top drawer and grabbed and handful and panties and socks, taking all her findings back to the suitcase and packing them away meticulously. Finally, she went to the closet and pulled out three suits; one with pants, the other two with skirts, and a couple blouses. She threw one of the skirt suits and the pants one into the suitcase with one of the blouses and zipped it up. She then changed into the remaining blouse and suit. She swung the suitcase down off the bed and exited the bedroom to find Gibbs exactly where she had left him.

“Going somewhere?” he asked in a teasing manner, offering her a mug of coffee as he sipped at his own. “I like your suit, by the way.”

Allison pulled down at her suit jacket and wore a proud little smile at the compliment. “That coffee shop is just down the street, I can’t stay here. You were so kind as to warm me that I’m being targeted; I’ll stay with you. That’s not a problem, is it, Mr. Gibbs? You were going to offer me a protection detail, weren’t you?” She exaggerated the last bit, making it sound like she was guilting him into it. His smile made it very clear that her exaggerated tone was not necessary.

Gibbs sipped at his coffee, smiled and shaking his head a bit. “I did say this was on my door step, didn’t I?” He walked over, towering over the tiny defense lawyer. “And I only have one bedroom.”

Allison’s smile challenged Gibbs, she looked beyond confident in her next words. “Then I hope you have a comfortable couch, Mr. Gibbs. Because, of course, you weren’t just suggesting that we share a bed. What would people say? That you made it up in order to get me into your bed?”

If it had been anyone else, expect maybe Abby, Gibbs would have contemplated Gibbs slapping her. But instead he calmly sipped his coffee. “Are you done?” he asked, indicating he was not going to sink to her level. “Because I think there’s another reason you don’t want to sleep in the same room as me.”

Allison shifted her weight away from the counter, feeling slightly nervous at what he may be insinuating. “And why is that?” She quickly back tracked, “And I never said room; I said bed.”

Gibbs laughed, putting his empty cup in the sink. Allison followed suit after downing her rapidly cooling beverage. He then pointed over her shoulder, she turned her head to see he was pointing to the bedroom door. “The light’s been on the whole time.”

Allison’s brow furrowed in confusion. “What does that have to do with anything? It’s 5 am, the sun isn’t even up yet.”

Gibbs shook his head. “When you answered by call you wouldn’t have had time to turn the light on before opening the door. You slept with the light on.”

Allison ducked her head, finding no point in trying to lie, guilt clear in her voice. “I’ve been uneasy since I took Machiavelli on as a client. I just felt…” she trailed off.

“Safer?” Gibbs offered. Allison looked up through her hair to see his gently, sympathetic smile. She returned it, looking like a scared little girl. “You’ll be as safe as it gets with me.”


	29. Dark

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Allison joins Team Gibbs to stop the person who is targeting her. Her and Gibbs have a plan and it puts several of Gibbs' rules to work. Part 2/2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The theme is Dark  
> Featured Character: M Allison Hart

“Leave your suitcase here.” Gibbs instructed as they got out of his car. He walked around and opened Allison’s door for her, earning him a judging smile as she got out and began walking through the NCIS parking garage like she owned the place.

“I sure hope this plan of yours works, Mr. Gibbs,” she called back over her shoulder, she was surprised when he wrapped his arm around her waist moments later. “We don’t want things to get too messy.”

In the squad room, DiNozzo was attempting to balance a pencil across the bridge of his nose, much to Ziva’s amusement. Or, rather, she was amused by knocking the sharp object to the side just as he would get it to stay. She made to take a swing at it again, Tony’s hand catching her wrist. “Can I not have one victory?” He glared at her with supreme annoyance.

A hand came across the back of Ziva’s head and she turned to shoot daggers at McGee. “Sorry.” The computer expert ducked in defence. “Gibbs isn’t here yet so I thought I would fill the role.”

Ziva opened her mouth to say something but then closed it again and smiled, deciding on a change of course. “I hope your sheep has an eye open, McGee.”

Tony didn’t even catch the mistake; his jaw was on the floor as he watched his boss enter from the elevator with his arm around one M. Allison Hart. “What happened to rule 13, Boss?” he called over as they approached.

“Rule 38,” Gibbs replied easily as he led Allison to his desk and, to everyone’s disbelief, offered her his chair. “Your case, your lead, Allison.”

Allison sat up a little straighter and looked out at her team. She took a deep breath, looking up at Gibbs for confirmation, he gave a little nod. “Adrian Machiavelli, my client, was being framed for a series of violent crimes. As you may already be aware, he receive a hand written letter this morning instructing him to commit murder.” She waited for Gibbs to place the letter on the desk in front of her. “The man he was supposed to kill was the petty officer you found last night.”

McGee took the evidence bag. “I’ll get this down to Abby and have her run a handwriting comparison.” He waited for the nod from Allison before heading for the elevator.

“I will check with Ducky for a time of death.” Ziva jumped and ran after McGee. 

Tony leaned forward at his desk, hitting a few keys on his keyboard. He looked up at his boss and the lawyer, expectantly. “And me?”

Gibbs made a gesture, as if holding the door open for someone. Allison took her que and pulled the other evidence bag out from her jacket. “Agent DiNozzo, I want you to go to the place this photo was taken and find out where it was taken from. Take to the locals. See if anyone noticed anything strange.”

Tony got up and crossed the room, taking the evidence bag from Allison’s hand to examine the picture. He flipped it over. “There’s an address written on the back. Want me to start there?”

Allison’s brow furrowed. “Address?” She took it back and read the scrawl. “That’s…that’s the street address for my office.” The shock and disgust on her face was the same as someone who had just put their hand into a vat of jell-o. 

\--+--

“Abby!” McGee called into the lab. The forensics scientist was nowhere to be seen. The former probationary agent walked in warily, looking around for any potential hazards. “Abby? You here?”

“McGee! Help! I’m stuck!” The call came from the back lab, muffled by the closed glass door. McGee didn’t waste any time getting to his damsel in distress. He arrived to see that Abby had gotten her skirt caught between the seat of her chair and the lever used to raise and lower it. “I finally got it just right and it started fighting back.”

McGee sighed in relief, bending down to carefully unhook the plaid skirt from its prison. “You had me worried for a second. I thought you were in danger.” He looked up to see an unimpressed look on her face. “No-not that this isn’t a serious situation. I just meant, with all the bad luck we’ve had with people in your lab, this is a real…” he trailed off, failing to figure out where he was going. 

With her skirt free, Abby jumped up and walked with McGee to her main lab. “So what brings you down here, McGee? I haven’t gotten anything on our dead PFC yet. Ducky isn’t done with the autopsy.”

McGee shook his head and produced the evidence bag. “I need you to run the handwriting from this through the computer. Rule 38 is in effect.”

Abby scrunched up her face. “Who enacted 38?” She took the letter and put it down on her examination table. She put on gloves, handing a pair to McGee, then took the letter out of the bag and laid it on her scanner.

“Gibbs did,” McGee said, snapping his gloves into place. “We’re taking orders from Allison Hart.”

Abby had her lips around the straw of her Caf-Pow and nearly choked when she heard the name. “No way! There is no way I am taking orders from her! If she wants something from me she can send Gibbs.” She looked around awkwardly. “This one’s a freebie because you saved me, McGee.” She leaned over and kissed his cheek the same way Gibbs would have kissed hers.

\--+--

Ziva returned to the squad room to find that Tony and Gibbs had left and McGee had yet to return. Allison was left sitting behind Gibbs’ desk, awkwardly gazing around the room. Ziva walked right up to the desk, trying her best to pretend she was addressing Gibbs. “Time of death was approximately 10 pm last night. Machiavelli received the letter, or rather discovered it, at 4:36 this morning.”

Allison nodded. “Good.” She sounded distracted. “Um, I’m…I’m guessing cause of death is yet to be determined. Bri-bring in Machiavelli. I want to question him.” Ziva smiled and gave a little nod before leaving again. Allison breathed a sigh of relief. Leading was hard. 

“Questioning your own client.” Allison whipped around to see Gibbs standing right behind her, depositing a coffee onto the desk next to her while sipping at his own. “Can you do that, legally?”

“No.” Allison took her coffee and held it on her lap. “But you can.” She smiled up at him in the same way Abby usually did; like she was scheming. “By leading the case I can’t legally be in the room for fear of conflict of interest. Just be sure to tell him that I’ve said he doesn’t have to answer any questions and that I advise him not to speak to you at all.” She sounded far too chipper for what she was saying. 

Gibbs placed his hand on the back of the chair. “You always have to be difficult.”

\--+--

Gibbs sat down in interrogation across from Adrian Machiavelli. “You know why you’re here?” he asked calmly. He peered over his shoulder, seeing only his reflection in the one way glass. 

“That letter,” Machiavelli replied, equally as calm. “You’re gonna vouch for my innocence.”

The sound of Allison’s hand making contact with her forehead was almost audible through the glass. Ziva laughed, a very rude sound that earned her a glare from the lawyer. “He is blunt,” The former Mossad officer said in her own defence.

Allison crossed one arm over her chest, the other resting the elbow on her hand and moving a stand of hair behind her ear. “I’m sure Mr. Gibbs has some kind of rule for this,” she mumble to herself. 

Ziva’s interest peaked. “Rule for what?” She knew that Gibbs had a whole long list of rules and she had yet to memorize them all. The door opened and Tony entered, one person that Ziva was convinced knew all the rules. “I am sure that Tony will know if what you are thinking is one of Gibbs’ rules.”

Allison redirected herself to Agent DiNozzo, closing her eyes as if that would make her respect him more. “I represent Machiavelli as his defense lawyer. But being here, behind the glass, instead of there,” she motioned to Gibbs who was standing over Machiavelli and barking in his ear, “I just feel conflicted.”

Tony nodded, feeling wise and powerful like Yoda. “Rule number 10: never get personally involved in a case. If Director Vance knew you were feeling like this he would take you off the case.”

Allison nodded, turning back to the glass to see Gibbs leaving. She quickly exited the viewing room, Tony and Ziva following. She turned on the agents. “David, I need you to follow up on the petty officer. Anything you can get pertaining to cause of death and what he was doing just prior.” Ziva nodded and took off. “DiNozzo, what did you find, walk with me.” 

Allison began walking down the hall, Tony and Gibbs trailing behind. “The picture was taken with a specialized lens made for zoom. From where you were standing, the picture could have been taken from the other end of the street.” The look of disappointment on her face caused him to continue. “The picture could not have been taken closer than half a block away or it would have been blurry from the zoom.”

“Good,” she said, this time with confidence. “Run a search on anyone in the area who has purchase the lens in the last two weeks, see if we can narrow down our search.” Tony headed off back down the hall, leaving Allison and Gibbs alone. She turned around and raised an eyebrow in a silent challenge. “Show time.”

\--+--

McGee re-entered the squad room to see Tony and Ziva hard at work, both not even aware of his presence. “What’d I miss? Abby had me helping with the analysis…”

“She’s more efficient than we thought,” Tony mumbled into his key board. “Did Abby get anything on the handwriting or what Ducky sent from autopsy?” He looked up to see McGee’s dumbfounded expression. “Speak, McFrankenstein!”

McGee opened his mouth and closed it a couple of times before turning his attention to Ziva. “The handwriting didn’t match anything we have on record. But we have a cause of death.” He waited for Ziva to acknowledge him. “There were bubbles in his blood. He was pumping pure oxygen through his veins instead of oxygen molecules attached to blood cells. He died because his veins became so porous they were like bubble wrap.”

“Every time he touched something, a vein would pop,” Tony said, clearly thinking out loud. “So that would mean; when the guy picked a fight at the bar, every hit was like a knockout blow.” Tony sucker punched the air in rapid succession to illustrate.

Before anything more could be said, the elevator opened and shouting filled the squad room. Allison stormed over to the desk and snatched up the keys that were laying there. “I don’t have to listen to this! This is _my_ case!” She gave Gibbs a good shove. 

Gibbs looked angry, catching Allison’s wrists as she tried to give him another shove. “Well, this is _my_ team! And I have final say! If you don’t like it, that’s tough! I’m doing this for you!”

Allison struggled against being restrained. “I never asked you! I’m not some scared little girl that needs to be protected! Now, let me go before I file assault charges against you!” Gibbs released her and she stormed out, making sure to show her anger in how hard she pushed the down button on the elevator.

“What’ve we got, McGee?” Gibbs asked, sounding like everything they had just witnessed had never happened.

McGee recomposed himself in time for Abby to enter, holding a piece of paper. “We have the name of our killer.” She held it out to Gibbs. “I ran a cross check of the three searches; the search Ziva was running on the petty officer, the search Tony was doing on a camera lens, and the search McGee and I were running on how the oxygen bubbles got into the PFC’s blood, and I found a connection for all three.”

Gibbs nodded. “DiNozzo, David, pick the guy up.” Gibbs pulled his keys and gun out of the drawer. 

“Where are you going, Boss?” Tony asked as Gibbs reached the elevator.

“Home.”

\--+--

Gibbs pushed open the front door to smell something cooking. He walking in a daze through the house until he was standing in the doorway to the kitchen and just stared. Allison had changed out of her suit and was wearing his woodworking sweater. Her back was to him and she was moving something around on the stove. Her hair was tied up into a messy bun and her legs were bare. 

“Wasn’t expecting to come home to this,” Gibbs laughed, shrugging off his jacket and leaning Allison’s suitcase against the wall. “What’re you making?”

She looked over her shoulder, a teasing smile gracing her lips. “You didn’t have much to work with. I hope you like stir fry.” From her tone, it was clear he didn’t have a choice. “Did they buy it?”

Gibbs shrugged, coming right up behind her and placing his hands on the counter on either side of her hips. “Hard to say. Not even sure they really bought that you were in charge.”

\--+--

Allison was starting to regret not packing her laptop. Gibbs only got 3 channels on his little black and white tv and she was running out of things to think about. And god forbid a word come out of her mouth. She cuddled in closer to Gibbs as he sipped at his bourbon. Since they had finished dinner he had been keeping her well supplied with alcohol. 

‘Rules number 3, 7 and 8: Don’t believe what you’re told. Double Check. Be specific when you lie. And don’t take anything for granted.’

She had found that the more she had the say, the more beer he placed in front of her. She had finally decided to shut up, before she started feeling sick; a hint that her judgement had yet to be impaired. “ ’m tired,” she mumbled into his chest. 

She felt a gentle hand come down on her head and ruffle her hair before the world fell out from under her and she was being carried up the stairs. She was then laid down in a soft, unmade bed, and a kiss was pressed to her forehead. “Good-night, Allison.”

She felt herself mumble a goodnight before blacking out. Gibbs sat at the edge of the bed until he was sure she was asleep before crawling in on the other side and drifting off himself.

\--+--

More pounding. Allison threw her hand to the other side of the bed, smacking something that was very much not a pillow. She rolled over to find Gibbs lying next to her, rubbing his face where she had just made contact. “You’re some alarm clock,” he mumbled, getting up and heading down to answer the door. 

Allison made a sound somewhere between a groan and a moan as she rolled back over and pulled Gibbs’ pillow over her face. 

Downstairs, Gibbs unlocked the front door and three very concerned field agents entered. “Boss, someone broke into Allison’s apartment last night. The place is trashed and there were traces of blood. Abby’s running it as we speak.” McGee bobbed from side to side, his nerves making a point to not be ignored.

“It’s not her blood,” Gibbs said calmly. All eyes shot up to him, confusion written all over their faces.

“How do you know, Boss?” Tony asked, silently praying that the all mighty Gibbs was right and he could call Abby to give her the good news. 

Gibbs pointed with his thumb over his shoulder up the stairs. “She’s upstairs. Probably fell back asleep. She came over to chew me out and we ended up have a few drinks. She was too drunk to drive so she spent the night. If you don’t believe me then have Abby run a tox screen on her.” Gibbs mentally laughed at the idea of Allison playing guinea pig for Abby.

Just then, Allison made her way down the stairs. Gibbs looked over to see that she still hadn’t bothered finding pants and was only wearing a pair of butterfly panties and his oversized NCIS sweat shirt. “Morning,” she mumbled, using the sleeves to rub at her eyes.

Tony’s phone began to ring, pulling everyone back to reality. “Yeah, Abbs?” He put the phone on speaker so that all could hear the forensics specialist.

_“The blood sample form Miss Hart’s apartment came back. It’s Adrian Machiavelli’s. We’ve got our killer Gibbs. The writing sample on the picture from Tony’s desk matches Machiavelli’s.”_

“Good work, Abbs.” Gibbs called into the phone, hitting the end call button. He turned back to Allison. “Would you care to do the honors?”

\--+--

Allison entered her office, pointing her smile right at her client whom waited at the counter. “Thank you for meeting me here, Adrian. I have some really important news.”

“Charges were dropped?” the man asked, sounding like he couldn’t care either way. 

“I’m afraid not.” Allison slowly stepped backwards. “No, quite the opposite, I’m afraid.” She opened the door, Gibbs standing in the opening. “Adrian Machiavelli, you’re under arrest for murder and fraud.”

“You-you can’t do this!” Machiavelli struggled as Gibbs put the handcuffs on him. “You’re supposed to defend me!”

Allison smiled a dark smile. “That was before you threatened me. If you didn’t have to gloat about it and send that picture to Mr. Gibbs then you probably would have gotten away with it.”

“How’d you figure it out?” Machiavelli stopped struggling and glared right at Allison.

She smiled and motioned for Gibbs to field that one. “The credit card you used to make all the purchases belonged to 93 year old Mason Grant. He’s on his death bed in a California hospital. The handwriting belonged to a barista at the café. You paid her to write it for you, claiming it was for a novel. And the cause of death came from a water filtration company that fired you shortly before your first arrest.” Gibbs slammed Machiavelli against the hood of the sedan. “And you want to know the link between them all? Your signature shows up in all three places.”

\--+--

Allison tossed the last pillow into place and stood back to admire her handy work. “You still here?” Gibbs asked from the doorway. 

“I’ll be here a while,” Allison teased. “My apartment has to be cleaned up. I hope that’s not too much trouble for you, Mr. Gibbs.” She walked up to him and ran her hand over his chest, brushing off sawdust.

He took the hit and pulled the sweater off. “No trouble. I could use the company. Gets kind of dark and lonely around here.” 

She held her arms up and he pulled the sweater down over her head. “Sometimes the dark’s not so bad. Teaches you to appreciate the light.” She hugged herself with the warm, wood-and-bourbon-scented material. “And you know what I’d really appreciate right about now?”

Gibbs laughed and, for good measure, plopped his NCIS baseball cap on her head. “Yeah, I think I do.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please don't come yell at me for the plot not adding up properly. Apparently I had something else in mind for who done it but forgot half way through writing.


	30. Faith

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tony get's hit in the head and has a very strange dream. At least a familiar face is there to help him make sense of it all.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The theme is Faith  
> Featured Character: Tony

DiNozzo tore from his cover, firing off 2 shots as the man they were after rounded the corner out of sight. He cursed to himself, picking himself up and slamming his back to the wall to peek around the corner. Ziva came up alongside him, her own gun at the ready. Tony held his free hand up, telling her to wait, before turning the corner sharply and giving chase once more.

Ziva waited several long seconds before she turned the corner herself. She moved smoothly down the corridor, careful not the make a sound. Gun fire filled the air, shattering the silence, and Ziva was off. She rounded the corner, without checking, into the room at the end of the hall to find Tony grappling with a hooded figure. She leveled her gun, making ready to fire, when a shot was taken at her from Tony’s weapon. Ziva dove for cover and helplessly watched the assailant beat the handle of Tony’s gun into the back of his head, knocking him out.

In a daze, Ziva fired off 4 rounds. The first hit the hooded figure in the shoulder, sending him reeling. The second grazed his temple, sending him to the side. The third was a miss, a miscalculation at how far the second shot would send him. And the fourth was a precise shot right through the heart. 

She tossed her gun to the side and dove down to roll Tony over and onto her lap. She held his face in her hands and beat his chest with her fist. “Tony! Tony, you listen to me! You cannot die on me! Do you hear me?” Tears rolled down her face, dripping down onto his vest. She leaned forward, pressing her cheek to his. “Do not leave me.”

A heavy hand landed on her shoulder and her head shot up. Gibbs looked down with gentle eyes, offering his hand to help her up. She took it and buried herself in the older man’s chest, not able to hold back her sobs any longer. “He’ll be ok, Ziver.” Gibbs stroked her hair. “You just have to believe in him.” He tilted her chin up. “I think there’s a movie you need to watch when he wakes up.”

Ziva tried to laugh and wiped a hand across her face. “If it will make me feel better, Gibbs, I will watch it now.”

Gibbs nodded, pressing a soft kiss to her forehead. “Let’s get DiNozzo to the hospital first.” His tone carried the tiniest bit of teasing which earned him a real smile.

\--+--

Tony opened his eyes to find himself on a cot in what he thought was a dirt shack. He looked around, seeing that he was alone, and attempted to get up to assess the damage. On his feet, he felt funny. He looked down to see he was dress in a long, green tunic and matching tights with little brown bags on his feet that must have been some attempt at shoes. He nearly screamed when two figures dressed in animal suits seemed to fall from the ceiling. 

Dressed as a panda bear was McGee, the same clueless smile on his face. And the other suit, a rabbit, was Palmer. “McGee? Palmer? What are you guys wearing? And where is this?” 

“Who is McGee and Palmer?” McGee asked, clearly more confused than usual. “I’m Probie and this is Autopsy Gremlin. You gave us those names, Peter DiNozzo.”

‘Peter DiNozzo?’ Tony scratched his chin. ‘That’s not right.’ He looked around, realizing this did look scarily like Hangman’s Tree. ‘Then they would be my lost boys.’ He looked about some more. “Where is Tinkerbell?” he wondered aloud.

“Oh!” Autopsy Gremlin jumped up, finger proudly pointed in the air. “You mean Zivabell!”

Tony’s jaw hit the floor. “Ziva?” Both lost boys nodded enthusiastically. “Are we talking about the same gal?”

As if just to prove the point; a miniature Ziva flew in and hovered right in front of his nose. “I hope this makes you happy, DiNozzo, because you will never get me to do this again.” She pouted a little and stomped in the air, clearly just to stay in character.

Tony held his hand out to let Ziva land and he spoke to all in the room. “Well, I guess we should follow the story, then.” He wrapped his hand around Ziva and held her up triumphantly. “To Wendy!”

\--+--

Tony landed in the Darling nursery and looked around the room until his eyes landed on a sleeping figure. He slowly approached the bed and peered through the darkness at the surprisingly familiar face. “Kate?”

The girl stirred, sitting up and yawning before smiling at Tony. “I was wondering what was taking you so long,” she teased in a way that only she could. She climbed out of bed and walked over to the window that he had left open. “Shall we go back to Neverland so I can explain things?”

Tony gawked, partially because Kate could pull off the Wendy look and partially because: “You know what’s going on?”

Kate raised her hand to cover her mouth as she laughed. “Of course. Come on, sprinkle the pixie dust and I’ll explain things when we get there.”

Tony nodded and pulled an angry Ziva out of his hat and shook her over Kate’s head. Ziva freed herself from Tony’s grasp and flew around Kate a few times before she was floating off the ground. She then seated herself in Tony’s breast pocket.

Kate walk-glided over and took Tony’s hand, leading the way through the sky. It felt like such a short flight, his eyes trained on his old partner the whole while. It made some sense that, if this were a dream, Kate would be the one he would have in control of the situation. 

They alighted down on Neverland soil and Ziva took off, clearly done with Tony or Kate or perhaps the atmosphere they presented. “You gonna tell me what’s going on?” Tony asked as Kate started walking into the forest.

She looked back, beckoning him to follow her. “You got hit in the head chasing down a perp. You’re in the hospital right now. This is some sort of coma-dream brought on by what you heard before you were completely unconscious.” She took his hand, as if that were the most normal thing to do. “You’re subconsciously projecting characters onto people you know so that you can have some sort of guide. But there must be something wrong with you brain or everyone would understand.”

Tony shook his head, pulling his hand free and using both to cover his ears. “La la la! I can’t hear you! There’s nothing wrong with me! You’re not really here, Kate.”

Kate took his hands from his hears and held them out between them. “But I am here Tony. You made me Wendy. I think that’s you trying to get the chance to save me.”

Tony shook his head, still in denial. “No offense, Kate, but I always pictured myself as more of a Hook.”

Kate laughed, releasing one hand to cover her mouth again. “Gibbs is Hook.” She smiled, recapturing his hand before it could go anywhere. “Want to know the fast way out of the dream?”

Tony’s eyebrows scrunched up. “What? That came out of nowhere.”

Kate released him fully this time and took the few steps to the tree line. “The anesthetics wore off. You can wake up anytime now. You just need closer to leave.” She skipped back to him and stood right up in his face. “Kiss me. You’ll wake up when Zivabell gets jealous.” Tony leaned in, feeling Kate’s hands press back against his shoulders. “Not yet. Just a little longer.” She looked up into the sky as if staring at a clock. “Okay, now!”

Tony squeezed his eyes shut and leaned into the kiss. A hand came across his face and he opened his eyes to find himself in a hospital bed with Ziva glaring down at him with her hand raised to smack him again. He noticed that her hair was in a very familiar bun, and also that green looked very good on her. “

Have a nice nap, DiNozzo?” Tony’s head jerked to the side to see Gibbs standing, leaned against the wall, at the end of his bed. 

“Yes, Boss. Thank you for asking.” He looked around the room, hoping to avoid any more surprises. 

“Gibbs, may I have a moment alone.” Ziva had her arms crossed and her head tilted. Gibbs nodded and left the two of them alone. Ziva grabbed onto the front of Tony’s hospital gown and lifted him up by it. “If you ever do that to me again I will kill you seven different ways before you even realize you are dead. Do I make myself clear?”

Tony held his hands up, an overconfident smile plastered on his face. “No more kisses? Sure, I think I can manage that. That last one was pretty good, should hold me over.”

Ziva’s free hand came across his face, he flinched as she struck him. When he opened his eyes back up he saw tears were resting at the corners of Ziva’s eyes and tear stains were drying on her cheeks. “You idiot! I thought you were going to die!” 

Tony reached out, trying his best to wipe her tears while he was held up like a ragdoll. “Hey, don’t cry. Have some faith in me.” He took her hand, seeing it was red and looking to have bruises forming on the palm. “What happened to your hands?”

Ziva released him, letting him fall back. “Gibbs suggested I watch a movie to try and feel better.” She turned back to face him, the ghost of a smile trying to make itself known on her face. “I was told to clap my hands if I believed. And that all I needed was faith, trust and pixie dust.” She laughed at how silly she sounded. “I had to believe in something. I chose to believe that you would be okay.”

“That would explain the dream,” Tony added, laughing along with his partner.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Clearly I got bored of the plot somewhere along the way. If I am ever motivated I may rewrite this chapter to actually make sense and tell the whole Peter Pan tale.


	31. Colours

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Gibbs never formally breaks up with any of the women he sees. So what happens when they all show up at once?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The theme is Colours  
> Featured Character: Gibbs

_“I don’t understand, Gibbs. You’re never one to hand over a case.”_

“Sorry, Abbs. Something came up suddenly. I’d prefer if you handled this one. If you need anything, I can drop by later.” 

_“And you **never** call me Abbs. What’s going on? I can be down to the navy yard in twenty minutes.” ___

__“Not necessary, Abby, really. I gotta go. I’ll call you later.” Gibbs closed his cell phone, sliding it into his jacket as retired Lieutenant Colonel Hollis Mann walked down from talking with the director. “Can I get you anything, Hol?”_ _

__Hollis smiled as she approached. “Nothing now. Who’d you just get off the phone with? Sounded like you were a bit rushed.” She raised an eyebrow._ _

__Gibbs rounded his desk, pulling Hollis in by the waist. “Just Abby. We handed a case over to Coast Guard. She was a little uneasy about working out of their lab.”_ _

__Hollis gave his a good punch in the chest. “You’re a terrible liar, you know that? Anyway, I’m sorry to show up like this out of the blue.”_ _

__Gibbs pressed a kiss to her forehead. “Shh.” He gently rocked side to side, pulling back slightly to see her face. “I like when you show up out of nowhere.” He was going to add something when he saw McGee gesturing from behind the cubicle divider for him to approach. “What is it, McGee?”_ _

__The computer geek froze, suddenly feeling self-conscious with both sets of authoritative eyes on him. “Um, Boss, you’re, ah, you’re needed in legal.”_ _

__A brief look of horror crossed Gibbs’ face. “McGee, take Hollis down to see Ducky, I’m sure they have some catching up to do.” The team leader tore across the squad room and down the stairs to the legal department. When he got there he saw Tony and Ziva trying their best to distract a certain dark haired lawyer. “What are you doing here, Allison?”_ _

__The lawyer’s pale blue eyes lit up upon hearing her name. “Mr. Gibbs, I am so happy to see you.” Her tone suggested otherwise. “Director Vance has been so kind as to grant me full employee status here at NCIS. I was just on my way up to tell you when your agents stopped me.” He could hear the suspicion in her voice._ _

__“DiNozzo, David, I’ve got it from here.” Gibbs dismissed his team, waiting for them to leave before directing his attention back to the dark haired woman. “Do me a favor, Allison, and stay out of the office for a few days.”_ _

__Her smile remained in place and she sauntered right up to him, keeping confident eye contact. “I’ve just been given this position. Now, why on earth would I want to spend any time away when I could be getting settled in?” She stood on her toes so that their noses touched._ _

__“When DiNozzo said you were down in legal I assumed you were in trouble again.” Both parties turned to see Agent Abigail Borin exiting the elevator and walking briskly towards them. “Silly me, I should have known the rules only apply when it’s convenient.” She looked Allison up and down. “So who’s this little hussy?”_ _

__Allison strutted right up to Abigail, tilting her head back to look up at her. “This ‘little hussy’ has a name.” She crossed her arms and stood up on her tippy toes to try and be at eye level. “I’m M. Allison Hart, defense attorney, and Mr. Gibbs’ girlfriend.”_ _

__Abigail’s eyebrows raised, as did her eyes as she looked over Allison’s head to Gibbs. “ _Mr. Gibbs_? What kind of sick daddy issues are you catering to, Gibbs? You know, I’m a little surprised she’s not a red head.”_ _

__“Really? Because I’m kind of surprised you are.” Abigail wiped around to see Hollis standing in the doorway, McGee several paces back._ _

__“Sorry, Boss. She saw Agent Borin and took off on me,” McGee said feebly, though his apologize meant nothing to the cat fight about to break out._ _

__To add insult to injury; the elevator door opened up to reveal agents David and DiNozzo. “Uh oh. What'd we miss?"_ _

__“DiNozzo, when were you going to tell me about these man stealers?” Abigail calmly crossed her arms, nearly elbowing Allison in the chest._ _

__“Excuse me, bitch. I was here first.” Hollis straightened up, taking a military stance against Borin. “That would make you the man stealer.”_ _

__Allison took a couple steps back, reaching behind herself to take hold of Gibbs’ hand. “It doesn’t matter what either of you have to say. Mr. Gibbs and I are happy together and neither of you will ever come between us.”_ _

__Gibbs wanted to hide. This was worse than having his ex-wives all in the same place. He had intend to tell them, or break it off with them, he had just never found the right time or words to do it. He sighed, bowing his head in defeat._ _

__“So, a blonde, a brunette, and a red head walk into a bar and they all are claiming to be the girlfriend of one Leroy Jethro Gibbs. What’s the punchline? That Gibbs is seeing all three of them?” Tony laughed at his joke._ _

__Gibbs raised his head, silently thanking and slapping his senior field agent. “Yep. That’s exactly it, DiNozzo. I never expected them all to meet so I never formally ended it with any of them. And if Jenny were still around then it would be four.”_ _

__All jaws were on the ground. “So…” Ziva was the first to recover. “You are saying that you are, quote on quote, an even bigger pimp than Tony?”_ _

__“You know,” Tony recovered as well, “I see it now. It has nothing to do with the colour of their hair. They all have the same personality; fiery.”_ _


	32. Exploration

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The author couldn't think of anything to write so she puts power into the hands of the characters to see if they can come up with anything useful. Hilarity ensues, as does absolutely nothing useful. There is no shame in skipping this chapter.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The theme is Exploration  
> Featured Character(s): The main cast as of ~season 7

(Ziva enters the conference room and sit downs in the vacant seat. She looks around at all the other NCIS agents, directors, and friends)

Ziva: Would anyone care to explain what is going on here?

Jenny: Yes, Officer David-

Ziva: It is Agent David now, Direct- er, Jenny.

Jenny: Well, _Agent David_ , we’re all here because the author of this fanfic is having some trouble staying motivated with these themes. 

McGee: Yes, she has called us here to help her discuss and brainstorm for today’s theme. Because she could not physically be here without breaking the time-space continuum, I have been put in charge as mediator.

Franks: Why does Meatball get to be in charge? I’m pulling rank on you, Probie!

McGee: I’m sorry, Franks, but the author put me in charge. Rule 38, right, Boss?

Gibbs: ‘Cept this isn’t a case, McGee. This is a meeting. You can play mediator all you want but we all know who’s in charge.

(Silence fills the conference room. All eyes are shooting back and forth between the people sitting around the end of the table: Gibbs, Franks, Borin, Shepard, Vance, and Fornell)

Fornell: Count me out, I know what it’s like to fight Gibbs.

Tony: Can we just all agree that McTyping is in charge and get on to what the hell the theme is?

McGee: Wow, Tony. Thanks. 

Kate: I didn’t know you cared so much, Tony. But you’re right, what’s the theme, McGee?

McGee: Exploration.

Abby: Ooh! Ooh! We could go hiking! Or camping! Or it could be a girl’s night…chapter…thing…

Leon: Then why are we here if this is going to be a girl’s…chapter?

Borin: It’s not. I’m not doing anything girly. We are all here because we are supposed to agree on something to explore.

Hollis: I vote we make Agent Borin do something girly. Since she seems so against it.

Borin: You can’t make me do anything! It’s an infringement of my rights!

Allison: It’s totally legal in my books.

(Hollis and Allison tackle her and have Abby help them braid her hair and do her make-up)

Jenny: Not to rain on anyone’s parade here, but isn’t our acknowledgement of the author a form of breaking the fourth wall? Are we just going to ignore that we are all conscious of what she puts us through?

Tony: That’s it! We can go back and re-read the stories we’ve already been forced to act in to get a better feel for what she’s going for.

(Everyone partners up and takes a chapter. After a few minutes and many expressions of horror they regroup)

Kate: No offence, Ziva, but you’re brother’s mind is disturbing.

Ziva: You are saying that Tony’s subconscious is any less disturbing?

Tony: Hey! Er, hey, Boss, are you crying?

Jenny: He got Kelly’s chapter.

(A soft ooh of sympathy echoes around the room)

Leon: The author’s twist on cannon events is a bit odd. I would never believe that the Lieutenant Colonel and former Director Shepard would…never mind.

Franks: There’s nothing about me in here! I feel betrayed! Man up, Probie, and do something about this! 

Ducky: Calm yourself, Franks. I was nearly forgotten a number of times. 

McGee: You mean like right now, Duck? Palmer, you’ve also been quiet. 

Palmer: You know, I just always say the wrong thing so I thought best to not say anything

McGee: And I would just like to point out, or rather the author would, that Mike was intended to be in the ‘Faith’ chapter but his actually appearance was cut due to the author getting bored.

Franks: Did I ask you, Probie?

Gibbs: I’d just like to know why I’m so damn important. The author either makes me out to be a god or just plain perfect.

Abby: Well, you are kind of perfect, Gibbs.

Kate: Yeah, you’ve been a father to all of us.

Jenny: And an exceptional lover to others.

Ducky: Or just a loyal friend.

Gibbs: There you go again! It’s like the author has it hard wired into her brain that I can do no wrong! What if I snapped and killed everyone here?

Kate: Well, some of us are already dead so it wouldn’t make much of a difference.

Tony: How are you here, Kate?

Jenny: Now you question to fourth wall.

McGee: Can we get back on topic, please?

Leon: Go ahead, McGee. If you have something to suggest then say it.

McGee: Well, I’m just saying that maybe the author intends for us to explore ourselves. Maybe that’s why she did this…

Tony: Hey, Ziva, I’ll let you explore me.

(Miraculously Ziva, Kate, and Gibbs all manage to smack the back of Tony’s head)

Borin: I’ve done enough self-exploration. Can I wash this stuff off?

McGee: Word of god says no.

Allison: What’s that?

McGee: Word of god? That’s when the author dictates something not clear in the context of the story.

Franks: So that author can hear us? She still has control of what’s going on here? Well, I’ll tell you one thing, I ain’t taking orders from some unseen force that declares McGee as her voice.

Gibbs: Would it have made a difference if it were anyone else?

Franks: Well, sure, Probie. I have respect for some people in this room. Just not for someone who calls himself the ‘Elf Lord’.

McGee: How do you even know about that?

Franks: I don’t know, why not ask your god?

(McGee and Franks enter into a staring contest. Power is passed-

McGee: Wait! I’m still here! I don’t care about a stare down! I’m here!

(Sorry about that McGee, I thought I’d lost you. Okay, power remains with McGee.)

McGee: Thank you.

Tony: McGee finally lost it.

Kate: Took him long enough.

McGee: Topic!

Leon: I think we’re about done here. We are learning a lot about ourselves just by being allowed to be ourselves.

Ducky: Exploring oneself too deeply in a short amount of time can lead to the damage of the psyche. I advise all of us to do some reflection of what has been said today and then to do something fun to ease the mind.

Ziva: That is good advice, Ducky. I, for one, am going to let leaping dogs lie. 

(Everyone face palms, Ziva looks around innocently.)

Tony: Sleeping. It’s “let sleeping dogs lie”.

Ziva: It could have been worse, Tony.

Palmer: Yeah, you could have said ‘die’.

(Everyone shoots Palmer a dirty look. The meeting is adjourned and nothing was accomplished. McGee’s document now officially reads 1096 words of nothing)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Why I thought this was a good idea, I do not know. I promise I will never write in this style again. I joined fandom after fics like this were starting to fall out of fashion and thus never got to write any. This theme allowed for the lapse in judgement that brought this monstrosity into existence. I apologize for anyone who didn't take my advise to skip the chapter.


	33. Seeing Red

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After a talk with her father, Ziva is upset and just needs to vent her anger at something.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The theme is Seeing Red  
> Featured Character: Ziva

_“You are my daughter, Ziva. No matter how far you go or the people you meet, that will never change.” Eli David held both his daughter’s hands._

_“If being your daughter means I have to give up everything I care about then I wish I had never been born!” Ziva yanked her hands free, glaring at Eli like she would someone who had personally injured her._

_“Ziva…I am just trying to be a good father. To keep you safe. And do what is best for you.”_

_“You do not care about me. Biologically speaking, we may be related, but you are not my father.”_

Why was I so stupid? This always happens. I let my emotions speak where logic should be. He just makes me so angry! He does not understand me. He never has! To him, I am just some doll he can pull the strings on. I was never a person to him, just a puppet. And every time he feels as if he is losing control of me he lashes out and tries to take over my life. I just want him to realize that I am my own person and that no matter what he does it will not change my mind.

I am not some helpless little girl who needs to be protected, either. That is his fault. Since I was little he trained me and Ari to be killers. He never let us have a childhood. We were just tools to him. We never actually meant anything. 

I just want to do something to smite him…er, I mean to _spite_ him. Something so out there, as Tony would say, that he would not be able to wrap his head around it. Though, I do not understand that saying. Just, to do something that no one would expect. That even Gibbs could not see coming. Maybe it would make me feel better.

Remembering dulls my anger. It just makes me sad. I do not know how to handle sadness. It has always been better to keep it to myself. But anger can be dealt with. There are many ways I can deal with anger, especially the kind that was caused by him. I used to slash the tires off all the cars being used by Mossad. Ari was a little more brave, he would throw stink bombs into the conference room. 

Now, that seems pointless. Things that can be taken back, undone. The anger I feel just makes me want to put a knife through something. And right now, I do not care whether it be living or not. I admit I would feel bad afterwards, even if it were someone I disliked. I just look at everything and see a bath of blood waiting for me to slit the first throat. 

_Ziva held her head in her hands, holding back tears only because they did not help her feel better. She took some deep breaths and stood up, done moping and ready to act. “Tony. You should go home,” she said calmly._

_Tony shook his head walking over to Ziva’s desk. “I know today’s been hard on you. I am not about to leave you alone.” He gave her a reassuring smile._

_Ziva already had her knife unsheathed, having been turning it back and forth in her hands, and his words caused her to throw it across the squad room. It hit the wall under MTAC and stuck, hilt deep. “You do not want to be around me right now, Tony! I do not want to hurt you.”_

_Tony stepped around Ziva’s desk and wrapped his arms around her. “It hurts me to see you hurt.” He pulled back, taking her face in his hands. “Look at me. You don’t need him. You have us. We’re more family than any of us ever wanted.”_


	34. Shades of Grey

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Director Vance is worried about Gibbs. He's been different since his return from Mexico. So he enlists the help of a certain lawyer to try and figure out what is going on inside the team leader's head.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The theme is Shades of Grey  
> Featured Character: Allison

“You wanted to see me, Director Vance?” Allison adjusted her temporary pass which she had pinned to her jacket pocket. Since starting as a temp at NCIS she had only been called into the director’s office once and it was to be yelled at.

The director sat calmly behind his desk, his hands folded over his lap. “Yes, I have a request, Ms. Hart.”

“Shoot.” Allison nervously gestured welcome. “I’m open to anything.”

The director leaned back in his chair and looked down his nose at the lawyer. “I want you to keep an eye on Special Agent Gibbs. Since he came back from Mexico, he’s been worrying me.”

Allison’s jaw hit the floor. “Sir, I-I don’t quite follow.” She adjusted her pass again, then moved on to adjusting the jacket itself. “If…if I’m to be understanding you correctly, you’re asking me to _spy_ on Mr. Gibbs?”

The director laughed, leaning forward and placing his laced fingers on the desk. “No, no. Nothing like that. Gibbs has a saying, one of his many rules; there are two ways to follow someone. The first way is that they never see you. The second is that they only see you. Can you follow that, Ms. Hart?”

Allison’s mind was wheeling. “Only…see me?” Her voice was nothing more than a whisper. “Y-you want me to…” She shook her head as if it would banish the thought.

“I want you to do whatever it takes to get inside his head.” He locked eyes with the dark haired woman. “You are the only person he won’t suspect.”

Allison nodded, feeling sort of numb. “Y-yes, Director. I’ll do my best.”

She exited the director’s office and began down the stairs to the squad room. At the bottom of the stairs, she walked right into Anthony DiNozzo. “Whoa, whoa, whoa. If it isn’t M. Allison Hart. What were you doing up in the director’s office? Someone in trouble.”

Allison recovered, losing the numb feeling and putting on her lawyer face. “I’m not you, Agent DiNozzo. I don’t get in trouble.”

“First time for everything.” Tony looked over his shoulder, Allison peeking around, as Gibbs walked up to them. “Are you bothering my agents, Allison?”

Allison smiled, stepping around Tony. “Well, it got your attention.” She felt that line was weak, but the smile it got out of Gibbs was enough to keep her going. “If I didn’t know any better, I’d say you were avoiding me again.”

Gibbs shook his head, turning slightly to indicate they should walk. “No. I don’t run from my problems.” Allison looped her arm through his, Tony trailing behind.

“No, you just bury them under twenty years of good deeds,” Allison teased, she couldn’t help but wear a huge smile as she hung off his arm like a prize. “I think you owe me something for that.”

\--+--

Allison fell back onto the bed. She felt so satisfied. 3 weeks. It had only taken 3 weeks. And now he was hers. She rolled over onto her stomach and admired her handiwork. The flowers at the bedside were a nice touch. And she practically exploded with joy at seeing her pajamas folded neatly next to his. 

“What are you doing?” Gibbs stood in the doorway, looking down at Allison. “Is this what you do when I’m not home?”

Allison laughed, getting up from the bed and wrapping her arms around his middle. “I’m just so happy. I still can’t believe you asked me to move in with you.”

Gibbs ran his hands through her hair, pausing every few strokes to kiss the top of her head. “You’re here most of the time anyway. It makes sense.”

She tilted her head back and stood on her toes to press a kiss to his lips. “This is perfect. It’s all I’ve ever wanted.”

He chuckled, walking her back over to the bed and laying her down. “Then tell me something. How long were expecting to keep this up?”

Allison’s brow furrowed. “What are you talking about?” She pulled herself into a sitting position, Gibbs seating himself at the end of the bed.

“Don’t think I don’t know what you’re doing, Allison. I know Leon asked you to keep an eye on me.” He reached for her hands, she withdrew them from his reach. “You can’t fool me.”

“I wasn’t trying to fool anyone.” She felt hurt, betrayed. She felt like she had been set up. “Who told you?”

Gibbs shook his head, shifting over to sit next to her. “No one. Didn’t DiNozzo tell you; I know everything. Even the things I’m not supposed to.”

“Why didn’t you say something? Before all of this.” She gestured around the room. “Were you using me?”

“Yes.” The straightforward answer hurt more than any lie. She looked at him, hatred beginning to burn up inside of her. “I used you, because you make me happy. You know the story, about Shannon. You remind me of her.”

Allison melted. She leaned over and buried her face in his chest. “You still should have said something. If you hadn’t called me out I would have ended up spilling my guts.” She looked up at him. “I felt dirty.”

Gibbs laughed, ruffling her hair. “I didn’t know that was possible. We’ve been sharing a bed for a week and I haven’t gotten more than a chaste kiss out of you.”

Allison joined in his laughter. “Well, I would have felt positively sick if you had and I had kept up this charade. But what do we do now?”

Gibbs leaned down and stole a quick kiss. “Nothing. Rule number 5; you don’t waste good.”

Allison smiled, leaning up to steal the kiss back. “Any other rules I should know about?”

Gibbs smiled back, laying down and pulling Allison across his chest. “Just a few.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> In this case, I took shades of grey to refer to moral ambiguity, not the erotica of the same name.


	35. Forgotten

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tony's a bit down on his luck and he can only think of one person who can cheer him up. Or, at least he hopes she can cheer him up. It's just too bad she can't be there.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The theme is Forgotten  
> Featured Character(s): Tony, Kate

Tony pulled out the bottom drawer of his boss’ desk, shuffling through the papers until he found what he was looking for. He flipped through the well-kept book as he walked back to his desk. 

“I thought you forgot about me, Tony. Now that you’ve got your new thing with Ziva.” 

He looked up to see the faintest outline of his old partner leaned against what was once her desk. She wore a smirk, like she always did when she was teasing him. 

Tony shook his head and laid the sketchbook down on his desk, rising like a man greeting his date at a restaurant. “You know that’s not true, Kate.”

The faint figure tilted her head in an enticing way. “I only know because you do.” She walked up, pushing him back into his seat with hands that weren’t really there. “Why are you doing this again? Conjuring me up as a figment of your imagination. It’s been a long time, huh?” She gained a baffled expression. “I’d thought you’d really forgotten about me.”

Tony held his head in his hands, guilt flooding his sense. “I could never forget about you, Kate.” He looked up, as if asking permission. “I’ve just…been trying not to think about it.”

The ghostly hand slammed itself down on the desk, making Tony jump. “How is that helping you? You always run away from your problems! You need to start facing them head on! You’re not some little kid who can get away with hiding behind someone twice your size.”

“I know that.” Tony shook his head, reaching out for the ghost of Kate. “Can you spare me the pep talk for once?”

Kate laughed, sending her hands, like gusts of air, through his. “The better question is can you spare yourself the pep talk. You are just talking to yourself.”

“Don’t remind me,” he grumbled. The way Kate spoke was much too happy for their conversation. “God, I wish you were really here, Kate.”

“I wish I was here, too, Tony.” She floated around behind him, placing her hands on his shoulders. “But we both know that can’t be. Maybe it’s time to move on, let old wounds heal. 

Tony pulled from her ghostly grip and walked around the front of his desk, reversing the roles. “I have moved on! But I’m not going to forget about you, Kate!”

“I’m not asking you to.” She sounded hurt. His mind was pulling back the memories of that time in the hospital. She had been mad, but she was also hurt that he would leave her. Now the roles were reversed and he was still the one feeling guilty.

“It sure feels like you are.” He pushed passed the guilt, trying to sound just as hurt as he remembered was Kate.

Kate threw her hands up, something Tony decided after seeing, was something Kate would not do, and began pacing behind the chair. “Well, what am I supposed to say, Tony?” She stopped moving and faced him, looking slightly pissed. “Should I ask you to get Gibbs and McGee and Ducky together and start a cult to worship me?”

“That’s not a bad idea.” Tony laughed as best he could, given how cheerless he felt.

Kate pointed a finger. “You are still the same disgusting pig! I don’t want to be worshipped, Tony, I want to be remembered. So much for respect for the dead.”

“I’m sorry.” The words came out of his mouth so quickly he was surprised he actually said them.

Kate walked around the desk and slapped the back of his head. “Never apologize, it’s a sign of weakness.”

Tony rubbed the place his ghost partner had hit. “If I recall, Gibbs apologized to you.” He watched as Kate shied away. He wasn’t sure if he was remembering her guilty face or her sorrow. “Sorry.”

Kate looked up at him, sadness was all Tony could see in her eyes. “What happen to us? I miss the old us. When we would fight, or tease each other or McGee.”

Tony shook his head, trying to push away his own sadness. “It doesn’t feel the same when you’re not really here.” 

Kate smiled, wiping her tears, and reached out to wrap her arms around him. “And you know I would give anything to really be here and to really get to hug you.” She suddenly lit up, practically bouncing. “Do you remember the time we were staked out and you suggested we press our bodies together?”

Tony shook his head, hands up in defense. “Kate, I don’t want-”

“I wish I’d taken you up on that offer.” Her words surprised him. “I got scared, though. I was scared I would lead you on, or lead myself on. I was afraid you didn’t feel for me how I felt for you.” She ducked her head, trying to conceal a blush.

Tony gripped her shoulders, forcing her to look at him. “I love you, Kate. How many times do I have to tell you?”

“You never did,” Kate shrugged. “Think about it, Tony. You never actually said you loved me.”

“I didn’t?” He stared down at her, trying his hardest to convince himself that she was lying. Kate shook her head. He released her and took a couple steps back. His back hit the window and he held his hand to his forehead as if checking for a fever. “Oh. Wow. I guess I just…”

“Forgot?” Kate offered. She walked up to him, placing her hand gently against his cheek. “Yeah, me, too.”


	36. Dreamer

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After a long case, Abby is ready for a break. But with so much Caf-Pow in her system, what kind of strange dream is she going to endure?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The theme is Dreamer  
> Featured Character: Abby

“Gibbs!” Abby grabbed onto her boss’ arm and dragged him over to her set up. “I’m so glad you’re here! I figured out that puzzle.”

Gibbs ruffled the goth’s hair. “I know, Abbs. You showed me an hour ago.”

Abby sighed with relief, over exaggerating the action by bending forward at the waist with the exhale. “Oh thank god! I was so sure I had told you but then there was the little part of my brain, you know the part that always doubts what the rest of you knows? Well, it was doubting me. I mean I was doubting me. Well, there was doubt.” She nodded vigorously. “Anyway, I’ve been up for 3 days and there is so much Caf-Pow in my system that I can probably stay up for another 3 if you need me to. You don’t need me to, though, right?”

“No, Abbs.” Gibbs kissed his favourite on the cheek. “Get some sleep.” He walked away, waving as he left the lab.

“Easy for you to say,” Abby pouted, walking over to rescue Burt from atop her fridge. “I don’t know how I’m supposed to sleep with so much caffeine in my system.” She held the hippo up to her face to stifle a yawn. “Oh well, I guess I’ll just…” She sat down at her desk and laid her head on the hippo, falling asleep immediately.

\--+--

An insistent tapping was hitting Abby’s shoulder. She waved her hand up, trying to shoo whoever it was away. Every time her hand waved passed where she thought the person should be, there was nothing there, then more tapping. She lifted her head, looking around to see who was tapping her. 

“McGee?” She looked at the space where a figure was fading in an out of existence. “What’s going on?” Her eyes drifted down over her body, seeing she was not wearing a black dress with a white apron. “What is this?”

“Don’t you remember?” the ghostly McGee asked, he wound himself around her in a manner that could only be described as creepy. “Gibbs told you to get some rest. You’re dreaming. And this dream looks to be influenced by Caf-Pow.”

McGee’s ghostly body transformed into a mirror, reflecting Abby as she was now. “I look like…a goth Alice in Wonderland.” She ran a hand threw her hair, which was down from its usual pigtails.

“You’re Abby in Wonderland.” McGee laughed. “And I’m your Cheshire Cat.” Sure enough, McGee turned into a cat that vaguely resembled him and curled up on Abby’s shoulder.

“But wait!” She pulled McGee off her shoulder and held him at arm’s length. “How do you know what’s going on? Isn’t that breaking the forth wall or something?”

McGee faded from Abby’s hands and reappeared back on her shoulder. “Every weird dream requires a guide. You substituted me in as yours. Looks like your subconscious has cast everyone else in other roles.”

Abby petted the McGee cat. “Now I feel bad, McGee. You make it sound like I didn’t think you were important.”

The McGee cat creepily stroked its paw through Abby’s hair. “Never mind that.” He pointed with his tail. “Time for you to follow the road and meet the other residents of your dream world. You’ll wake up when you reach the end of the road.”

Abby took McGee off her shoulder again and placed him on her desk. “Thanks, McGee. I’ll take it from here.” And she began down the road. Despite her logical mind, a road appearing out of nowhere in the middle of her lab did not seem out of place. She looked down and noticed that her feet weren’t actually moving but instead the road was moving under her. “This is so weird,” she stated in a bit of awe.

“What is ‘so weird’?” Abby looked down to see the white rabbit running along the path beside her. A closer look revealed that the rabbit looked vaguely like Ducky. “Are you enjoying yourself, despite it being ‘so weird’? I’m afraid I don’t have to time to stay and chat. I’m late, though I can’t remember what for.”

Abby laughed. “It’s ok, Ducky. I’m sure you’ll remember. And I’m sure you have a story it will remind you of, too.” 

“Of course.” The Ducky rabbit nodded, adjusting his spectacles. “It reminds me of the time I was sitting with the caterpillar.”

“The caterpillar? Is he down the road?” Abby grew excited. She wondered who she had cast as the caterpillar. “Can you introduce me Ducky?” When she looked back down the rabbit was gone. Looking back up, she saw a giant mushroom and a caterpillar. 

“Can I help you?” the caterpillar asked. Instead of a bong and smoke, the caterpillar was chewing on a toothpick. 

“Oh! Director Vance.” Abby giggled at how obvious it was in hindsight. “Sorry to bother you. Could you point me in the direction of the mad hatter?”

“No,” the director caterpillar said plainly. “But they can.” He pointed to two girls wearing matching overalls with their hair done up as Abby would normally wear hers.

Abby walked up to them, laughing a little to see the two together like this. The two girls were Kate and Ziva. They had, however, been shrunk to about half their size. Abby was a little surprised when they each took one of her hands and began leading her down the road. Abby silently questioned why they didn’t speak, but kept it to herself as they approached a table at the side of the road. 

Seated at the table was Tony with a ridiculous hat on. The girls let go of Abby’s hand and each took a seat on Tony’s lap. “I understand the size now.” She nodded to herself. “So, Hatter, do you have any words of wisdom to impart on me?”

Tony stroked his girls’ heads, like they were cats. Abby was just waiting for McGee to show up, but he didn’t. “Never forget the adventures you have, because one day you won’t be able to have any more.”

“Wow, Tony. That’s really insightful.” Abby curtsied to Tony and his mini harem as the road carried her on. The end of the road was in sight. And waiting at the end was Gibbs. At his side, bringing tears to Abby’s eyes, was Jenny Shepard. “You guys are the king and queen of wonderland. I almost don’t want to wake up. I mean, we’re all together again. I don’t want anyone to go away.”

Jenny pulled Abby into a hug. “We’ll always be together, Abby. You keep us all in your heart. And when you go on adventures; we’ll be here to fill the roles of characters so you don’t get lost.”

Gibbs wrapped his arms around his two girls. “Rule number 3, Abbs. Never be unreachable.” He wiped away her tears. “Everyone is just a memory away.”

\--+--

Abby blinked a few times, trying to get the tears clear of her eyes. She opened them again to find she was back in her lab. She looked to the door as it opened to the rest of Team Gibbs. “You guys! You will never believe the dream I just had! It was amazing!”

“Slow down, Abbs.” Gibbs held up his hands, a No Caf-Pow in one of them. “What’s this all about?”

Abby pulled everyone into a group hug. “Rule number 3, Gibbs. Never be unreachable.” She stepped back and smiled at her confused friends. “Even when we’re apart; I know everyone is just a memory away.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> These fairytale chapters are not good. That doesn't seem to deter me from writing them though...


	37. Mist

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Abby scored the team a vacation and convinced everyone to spend the week at a cabin in the woods. A surprise guest crashes the party but everyone is together and that is what matters most.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The theme is Mist  
> Featured Character(s): Team Gibbs (Ziva edition)

Gibbs turned the car onto a dirt trail that wound its way up and around the side of a miniature mountain. Trees lined both sides of the path in no sense of uniformity or pattern. As the car chugged slowly up the incline, a pair of stone mounds became visible at another fork in the road.

“That’s weird. The wind must have pushed the gate open.” Abby was leaned over the center console from her seat behind Gibbs. “I keep asking my uncle to put a latch on but he never gets around to it.” 

The car moved slowly between the pillars. A black, metal, gate swung off to the right, looking to have come off a hinge. “Gonna need more than a latch,” Gibbs pointed out, stepping down on the pedal to see if the car could push on any faster. “This place have to be so hard to get to, Abbs?”

“Patience, Gibbs.” Abby laid her hand on Gibbs shoulder. “Getting there is part of the experience.” 

“Indeed, Jethro. A great deal of the time, the journey is far greater an experience than the destination,” Ducky chided from the passenger seat. He adjusted his glasses and peered through the fogging window. “Although, I wouldn’t mind this journey being over.”

“It was…it was really nice of you to invite us up here, Abby.” McGee reached over and pulled the goth back into her seat. He took her hands and smiled. “It’ll be great to be able to do stuff without worrying about work.”

“I know!” Abby squeezed McGee’s hands back. “I can’t believe Director Vance gave us all this holiday. I mean, it’s for a week and EJ’s team is in town, but still! And I’m super excited for Ziva to see the place. It’s become a tradition that I spend the weekend up here with the female half of Team Gibbs.” She patted her boss on the head over the top of the seat as she said his name. “Kate and I had so much fun up here. And that weekend that Tony was framed for murder I brought Director Shepard up here. Heck, I even had a weekend up here with Viv.”

“This it, Abbs?” Gibbs pulled up to a cabin-like structure. The building was tilted so that you could see the front and side from the path. It appeared to be made of a dark wood, the side of the house having no windows, and the front having a small porch made of lighter wood. 

Everyone climbed out of the car and followed Abby who pulled a key from her purse to let them in. Inside was a small mud room which let out into a kitchen. A stair case leading down cut the large open concept in half, the far side of it being a living room. The back wall of the house was all large window panes. To the left of the kitchen was a staircase that went up, leading to a loft. A wall that didn’t reach the vaulted ceiling closed off a dining room. 

“There’s a bathroom down stairs and one behind the stairs that go up,” Abby informed them, “There’s nothing else really downstairs. Up in the loft is where we usually sleep but since there’s so many of us we may need to think of something else.” She walked around, tapping her chin.

Gibbs walked passed her and the stairs to the one solid thing along the back wall, a stone fireplace. “This thing work, Abbs?”

Abby spun around, holding her breath for a moment in order to think without words flying from her mouth. “Yes. But I don’t think we have wood. Check down stairs, if not there’s a hatched on the wall.”

As Gibbs headed down the stairs, the sound of tires on gravel alerted them to Tony and Ziva’s arrival. Abby ran to the door and threw it open to see both agents slam their car doors and continue whatever screaming match they had started in the car. Abby was about to call out to them when a crash came from inside the house. 

“Abby!” The way McGee’s voice cracked as he yelled made him sound both scared and unsure of why. Tony and Ziva had evidentially both heard it as well, as they picked up speed and ran in after Abby, up to the loft. “There…there was a…” McGee gestured to a dark corner where something still appeared to be moving around.

“ _Cat_ got your tongue, McScaredy?” Tony clamped his hand on McGee’s shoulder and made a mocking meow sound. 

“That does not look like a cat, Tony,” Ziva clarified, pulling on Tony’s shirt to try and give whatever it was a safe perimeter. “Perhaps we should get Gibbs.”

Tony looked back at the scared look on Ziva and McGee’s faces. “Are you two serious? It’s just a cat or something.”

“That’s not a cat, Tony,” Abby said matter-of-factly. She walked over to the dark corner and held her hand out. “It’s okay, little guy. You can come out. These are my friends.” She gestured back at the agents. 

From the shadows, right up to Abby’s hand, came a reddish canine figure. Its ears were pressed flat against its head and its tail dragged on the floor behind its black, stockinged feet. It let out a piteous cry before looking up at everyone with big, scared, golden eyes. 

“Well, I’ll be.” Heads turned to see Ducky at the landing. “How long has this chap been living here, Abby?”

Abby shrugged, crouching down to pet the ‘chap’. “Since I was up here with Kate, I think. But, his mom was with him then. When I was up with Director Shepard they were gone.” The creature climbed up onto Abby’s lap, leading to her lifting it into her arms and cradling it like a baby. “I guess with the storm, it came back for shelter.”

“What’s his name?” McGee approached carefully, extending his hand, which the baby met half way with the tip of his nose. “Isn’t he a bit heavy?”

Abby held it closer to McGee, letting the two get acquainted. “He’s still a baby, Tim. He was blind and furless when Kate found them.” She shifted him to one side before just depositing the furry suck into McGee’s arms. “Kate named the mom Marigold. This is the runt. Um, I think we called him Bruce. He has two siblings, a brother and a sister. The sister was Ally, and I think his brother is Arnold.”

Ducky traversed the rest of the way onto the loft, reaching out himself to pet the small creature. “How remarkable. I have never seen a vulpes vulpes so friendly towards humans.”

“Vulpes?” Ziva question, her arms were crossed and she had positioned herself behind Tony. “What is with the repetition, Ducky? And, what is that?”

Tony spun around, brow furrowed and hands held out in a ‘what the hell’ gesture. “Are telling me you’ve never seen a fox before?” Ziva shook her head once. “Come on! It’s a fox! They’re the dogs of the wild, Ziva!”

“Tony’s right,” McGee interjected. “Despite being territorial and curious, foxes are considered good company. They’re small enough not to attack humans unless provoked and they keep the rabbit population in check.”

“And they’re the cutest things ever.” Abby ran her hand through Bruce’s fur. “Let’s introduce him to Gibbs.” Abby lead the way down the stairs, Bruce still content in McGee’s arms.

“I did not take you for one to be afraid of an animal, Ziva.” Ducky raised an eyebrow at the Israeli woman. “Perhaps there is something you’re not telling us?”

“I am unfamiliar with the creature. You would all climb out of your skin if you met some of the creatures in Israeli folk lore.” Ziva threw her hand up as if that made her point any clearer. 

“Jump,” Tony deadpanned. He waited a moment before correcting the whole statement. “We’d _jump_ out of our skin.”

“Whatever.” Ziva shook her head. “The point is I am wary of monsters and fictional creatures. I just have not figured out which that thing is yet.”

Ducky, having had enough began back down the stairs. “Shall we see how Jethro is coming with that fire?”

Tony gestured ‘ladies first’, silently taunting Ziva. She glared at him and took a few steps. From the top of the stairs she could see the ‘monster’ was no longer in McGee’s arms. Hesitating a moment she grabbed onto Tony’s arm and pulling him along down the stairs.

“Getting cozy there, DiNozzo?” Gibbs called from the fridge. He had pulled a case of beer out and was distributing it around the room. 

Tony tried to free his arm from Ziva, but the little ninja had a death grip that would put his handcuffs to shame. “Not so cozy, Boss. Ya see, Ziva is afraid of…”

He trailed off as the offending creature wound itself around Ziva’s feet, causing her to stiffen up and grip his arm even tighter. “Get it away from me,” she hissed, sounding absolutely terrified.

Abby walked over and scooped Bruce up, cradling him again and taking him over to sit by the fire. Tony yanked his arm free, taking this opportunity to get his turn with the fox, and dashed away before Ziva could reclaim her hold. Ducky had let himself out onto the balcony from the dining room, enjoying the beginnings of the rain. 

Gibbs walked over, beer in hand, and offered his hand to Ziva. “Afraid, Ziver? It’s okay if you are.”

Ziva took Gibbs’ hand and, standing next to him silently, passing it back and forth between hers. She finally looked up after tracing the lines on his palm. “Ari used to tell me stories about the fox. He said that our father told them to him so I believed them to be true. He said the fox was magic.”

Gibbs laughed, setting his beer down on the railing to the basement. “The only magic here is that Abby got us all in one place, away from work, without have to kill anyone.” Ziva smiled at that, giving Gibbs’ hand a little squeeze.

“Jethro! Come take a look at this!” Ducky called from the balcony. Ziva and Gibbs crossed the room and joined him in the light rain. “Take a look down there.” The balcony hung over a cliff, as if the house had been built right into the mountain. Ducky pointed, down into the valley, at a stream that seemed to flow from right under them. “There must be a waterfall under the cabin somewhere.”

“Hey, Abbs!” Gibbs called, he waited for their hostess to join them on the deck. “You got any spare wood around? That river looks pretty calm. Give me a day or so and we can sail down it.”

“That would be great, Gibbs!” Abby enthused. “We can go look for wood tomorrow, it’s getting pretty foggy and dark out.” Abby grabbed Ziva’s hands and swung her around the same way she used to Kate. “Isn’t this place great? I mean, yeah it’s a bit gloomy, but it brings people together.”

Ziva smiled as best she could, keeping her eyes over Abby’s shoulder on Bruce. “It is nice.” She refocused herself, trying her best for Abby. “And it is not gloomy. Just a bit…what is the word, misty? It holds an air of mystery to it. I feel as though anything could happen.” Clearly those where the right words because they earned the biggest smile Ziva had ever seen on her perky goth’s face.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> "Viv" refers to Vivienne Blackadder from the backdoor pilot


	38. Burning

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Two friends share a drink at the bar, both have a problem. But it turns out the problems are the same and they are just at different stages of dealing with it

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The theme is Burning  
> Featured Character(s): Tony, Palmer

Tony threw back his shot and grumbled into the now empty glass. He cast his gaze up at the wall of liquor taunting him from only a few feet away. The barkeep was down at the other end of the long counter top, chatting animatedly with a couple of college girls.

“Mind if I join you?” The senior field agent spun around a bit too quickly for the amount of alcohol he had ingested to see a familiar, glasses wearing face.

“Autopsy Gremlin. What are you doing here? I thought we weren’t supposed to feed you so close to midnight.” Tony hit the rim of his empty shot glass on the edge of the bar, making an uncomfortable, hollow clink. 

“Oh.” Jimmy hung his head. “I-I guess I’ll just…” He turned heading back out.

Tony set down his glass and stood up. “Palmer.” He waited for the other man to turn back to face him. “Pull up a stool. No sense drinking alone, right.” 

The assistant medical examiner beamed and practically bounced over to take the seat next to Tony. He sat there happily, like a child about to be served ice cream, and looked around the bar as if he had never been in one before. “So, why are you drinking alone, Tony? I mean, I saw McGee leave with Abby.”

“Well,” Tony raised his hand to wave over the barkeep. “I did invite Ziva but she blew me off. Again.” The barkeep placed a pint glass in front of each of them. 

Palmer took a sip of the clear liquid, determining it was simply a vodka tonic. “Isn’t her father in town? She’s probably spending some time with him. I know that’s what Brena’s doing tonight.”

Tony took a swig of his own drink. “No, she’s with Gibbs.” He hit the glass hard against the edge of the coaster. The force and angle sent it flipping up, landing it perfectly over the rim of the glass.

“Hey, that’s pretty impressive,” Jimmy laughed, just as easily distracted as the child with his ice cream. “Um, why is she with Gibbs?”

Tony looked at Palmer like he had grown a second head. “Gee, Palmer, I don’t know. Maybe because **her father is in town**!” 

Palmer sat back, silence seemed to fill the whole bar. The autopsy gremlin looked around, seeing that there were very few people in the bar besides them and that Tony’s outburst was scaring those few people away. He cast his eyes everywhere except his companion, feeling like he would just make things worse no matter what he said.

“Sorry.” Tony’s voice was so quiet that Palmer thought he was hearing things. He turned to look at him just to be safe. “I don’t know what’s wrong with me. I just feel sort of…”

“Burnt?” Palmer offered. “Me too, actually. I may have his respect but that doesn’t mean he likes me. Every time the old man comes into town Brena blows me off to spend time with him. I feel burnt to a crisp, you know. And I’m the one who lit the match.”

Tony shook his head, shaking his once again empty glass in time. “No, not quite burnt. More like I’m still burning.”


	39. Out of Time

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Paula had a love hate relationship with time.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The theme is Out of Time  
> Featured Character: Paula Cassidy

Time is an interesting thing. It’s always the same. Yet it always feels different. Paula Cassidy contemplated this a lot. She had found that, in her line of work, there were two ways that time could pass. Either it would pass so quickly that she was left feeling like she had gotten nothing done. Or it could pass so slowly that she didn’t know what to do with herself. 

Working for NCIS at GITMO gave her the strangest schedule. She would go for weeks without a thing to do. Then a work load would be dumped on her and she would be swamped for a few days. She would divide her time between the days when she had no time for herself and the days when she didn’t know what to do with all the extra time she had.

Paula often questioned why time played these games with her. Why was it there one second and gone the next? Seconds, minutes, hours, days. Sometimes even weeks where the same thought was all that was on her mind. Why does time run one way and not the other?

Why do I have no time when I need it and more than I can handle when I don’t? The same question, asked a hundred different ways. At a hundred different times throughout the day. Why didn’t I do this sooner? Why did I hesitate that one second? Can’t it wait? They all meant the same thing.

Paula kept notes on the matter. Mundane little things that would look meaningless to anyone else. Things like how long it took her to do a task on a slow day compared to a day with no time. How often she was interrupted on either kind of day. How much time she would waste at a time thinking about time. 

Her notes were a disorganized mess. But there were others who understood and she share them with. _You never know when you’ll have to pass the torch along. Only time knows that._ She would say when she’d show someone her notes. _Can never be too careful, all our clocks are ticking._

Despite all her jokes and ponderings, Paula never let her fascination with time take away from how she lived her life. She didn’t let her worried bother her. Time would do as it pleased and no one could change it. But, like most people, she believed she had all the time in the world. It was truly a great loss when we all found out the hard way that she was out of time.


	40. Knowing How

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> NCIS and CGIS are working together on another case. Things don't go quite as plans, though.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The theme is Knowing How  
> Featured Character: Abigail Borin

“Well,” Abigail Borin removed her hat and ran a hand threw her hair. “If it isn’t Special Agent Leroy Jethro Gibbs. You the only team on duty?” She gave him a coy smile. “Or do you just request to work with me?”

“Whatcha got, Borin?” Gibbs looked right over his counterpart’s head, ignoring her flirtatious behaviour. 

Borin made a little huff sound in frustration before turning around to the crime scene. “We got a call last night from a local fisherman, Joel Mikey, about something strange in the water. We told him to fish it out and bring it to shore.”

McGee walked briskly over from the body. “The victim is Lance Corporal Derek Gordon. On leave from Norfolk to be with his wife when she gives birth to their first born. Ziva’s tracking down the wife now. Tony went to find Gordon’s CO. I’ll coordinate with Agent Borin’s team to see if we can find out how he got out there.”

Gibbs patted McGee on the back as he walked passed him to where Ducky was with the body. “That’s good work, McGee.” He took a couple more steps before looking over his shoulder. “You coming, Borin?”

Borin took a little hop-step before double timing it to walk alongside Gibbs. They stopped a couple feet from the body, left down on a rocky outcropping next to the beach. “Doctor Mallard,” Borin called in greeting.

“Agent Borin, good to see you, though, not under the circumstances.” Ducky looked up, squinting in the sun. When he looked back down his hands hovered over the body as if he weren’t sure where he left off.

“What are we looking at, Duck?” Gibbs leaned over a particularly large rock, trying his best to get a look at the whole body. 

“Well,” Ducky rose, reaching for Gibbs’ hand to pull himself back over the rocks. “I won’t know until I get him back to autopsy. There are no signs of strangulation nor are there any bullet holes in his clothing. But, I will know for sure once I cut into him.”

Gibbs’ cell phone began to ring, he pulled it out and answered it before it could ring again. “Yeah, Gibbs.” He waited for the voice on the other line. “Get it back to Abby.” Another pause. “Okay. You find anything else take it straight to Abby for analysis, got it McGee?”

“What’d he find?” Borin asked as Gibbs closed the phone and slid it back into his jacket. “Something related to a dead Lance Corporal, I presume?”

\--+--

Gibbs and Borin arrived back at NCIS to find Ziva and Tony fighting over who got to display their information on the plasma. “Whatcha got?” Gibbs called, walking right passed them as if he didn’t hear the arguing.

“Lance Corporal Gordon and his wife are recent members of The Prince and Princess Club. A society where the members dress up as Princes and Princesses and attend balls in character. The society is sponsored by a local costume shop that makes money from the publicity.” Ziva clicked the remote after each sentence. “Since Mrs. Gordon went on maternity leave they have been unable to attend.”

Tony took the clicker and began flipping through his information. “Lance Corporal Gordon’s CO is a First Lieutenant Ron Hastings. He said that Gordon was a good Marine and when Gordon asked for leave it was the first time he had heard about a wife or a baby. Something’s fishy here, Boss.”

Borin raised her eyebrow at the horrible irony. “We should look into this Prince and Princess Club.” She cast a half glance at Gibbs before taking order. “DiNozzo, head over to the costume shop and speak to the owner. David, get in touch with some of the other members.”

“What are we looking for?” Ziva asked, already heading for her desk.

“Motive, means or opportunity. Until we get the results from autopsy we don’t have a lot to go on,” Gibbs cut Borin off. “I’m going to go check in with Ducky. Abby, Abby.”

“He’s got you there,” Tony laughed. Borin whipped her head around to send him a spine chilling glare. “Right, costume shop.” 

\--+--

In autopsy, Palmer was on video conference with Abby and McGee. He looked through the notes he had made as they each rattled off things that could possibly be linked to the body. “No, sorry. He’s clean. Not even a superficial mark.”

_“Thanks, Palmer. I’ll keep looking.”_ McGee ended his part of the call.

“I’m running the tox screen now. I’ll let you know what I find.” Abby waved at the video phone.

“Thanks, Abbs.” Gibbs called from the autopsy door, causing Palmer to jump. “Got anything, Duck?”

“I’m afraid not, Jethro.” Ducky removed himself from the autopsy report to stand over his guest once more. “Post mortem rigor had just set in. The story agent Borin had was, unfortunately, false. This man died 3 hours after the time the call was put in.”

“You sure, Duck?” Gibbs’ brow furrowed. 

“Quite. This man was alive when he was fished out of the ocean by the fisherman. He died on shore.” Ducky looked just as spooked as Gibbs felt.

\--+--

Borin entered Abby’s lab, awkwardly caring a Caf-Pow as an offering. “Abby?” she called tentatively.

Abby walked from her back lab to the from ‘commons’ area with a petri dish in hand. “Hi, Agent Borin. I don’t have any results yet. McGee keeps sending me more stuff to test.”

“Will this help?” She gave the Caf-Pow a shake before handing it over. “What kind of stuff is he sending you?”

Abby set down the dish on her table and took a long sip from the Caf-Pow. “Anything and everything. And I have to test it all. I’ve got a tox screen running on Gordon’s blood and tissue but I have to wait for it. I’m testing everything else, first off, against his DNA. Anything that doesn’t match can be tossed aside.”

Borin pulled a pair of rubber gloves from Abby’s supply and pulled the spare lab coat from the coat tree. “It will go a lot faster with two sets of hands.” Abby smiled gratefully at her new partner.

\--+--

“Find anything?” Tony re-entered the squad room to find Ziva with sticky notes all over every surface around her desk. “You look like you have a final to study for or something.”

“Very funny, Tony.” She hung up the phone and pulled another sticky off her stack and stuck it seemingly randomly to her computer screen. “No one will talk about what goes on at these balls. However, I did manage to find out one was scheduled for tonight. I was trying to call Gibbs. We can send someone in undercover.”

Tony smiled charmingly, leaning down into Ziva’s person space over her desk. “And you were gonna suggest that you and I go, since we go so well together.” He gave a playful wink, making his partner feel incredibly uncomfortable.

Ziva looked away, suddenly feeling shy on top of uncomfortable. “We have proven effective in the past.”

Tony leaned in closer, as if he was going to kiss her, then gave a dark chuckle. “You know,” he looked deep into her eyes, “when you lean forward like that I can see right down your shirt. You’ve got a really cute belly button.” The sound of Ziva’s hand making contact with Tony’s face could be heard from autopsy.

\--+--

“Did you find anything, Abby?” McGee enter the forensics lab to see both Abbys sorting through evidence bins. “Abby, er, Abbys?”

“Gear up, Abbs.” Gibbs marched into the lab carrying two black clothing bags. He laid them both over the stool at the computer station. “McGee will take over.”

“Where am I going?” Abby asked, standing straight up and walking over to the clothing bags. An arm cut her off before she could reach them.

“Not you, other Abby.” He looked Borin up and down as she heard him refer to her as ‘Abby’. “We’re going to the Prince and Princess Club.”

\--+--

Gibbs’ favourite conference room as used as a changing room. Borin took Abby with her to help her into the yellow monstrosity that Gibbs had picked out. In the meantime, Gibbs changed in the ballistics room. When both parties where ready, the elevator doors opened to reveal Borin dressed as Disney’s imagining of Belle. Abby had done quick work to get the CGIS agent’s hair to curl and pile nicely on top of her head.

Both women looked Gibbs up and down. The blue coat he had over the simple white shirt made him look elegant and powerful. “Wow. Gibbs!” Abby squealed, hugging the silver fox. “You make a great Beast!”

Gibbs moved Abby to the side to walk up to Borin. “You look…” He trailed off, placing his hands on her waist. “Beautiful feels like an insult. You’re stunning.” He moved one hand, offering for Borin to take it.

She did, allowing her gloved hand to lay draped over his in a delicate fashion that didn’t suit her one bit. “If you’ll stop drooling, we should get going.”

\--+--

Entering the ballroom, Borin couldn’t remember the last time she had felt so self-conscious. All eyes were on her as Gibbs led her down the grand staircase, just as their characters had done in the movie. “They’re all staring,” she whispered, giving a fake smile to hide her nervousness.

Gibbs chuckled. “They should.” They reached the bottom of the stairs, everyone parting to make a large circle clearly meant to be danced in. Gibbs turned to face Borin. “May I?” He offered his hand, just as he had in the lab.

Borin swallowed audibly and took his hands. “I don’t…I don’t know how to dance.” She leaned in as close as she could, hiding her face from the crowd. “This is going to end horribly.”

Gibbs took his hand from around her waist and tapped her chin up. “Eyes on me. Forget they’re here. Just follow my lead.”

To her surprise, they glided over the wooden floor as if they were sailing through the clouds. Borin felt light as air as she followed Gibbs in the simple steps. She found herself smiling and genuinely enjoying the moment as they danced. 

When the dance was over, Gibbs’ phone rang. “Yeah, Gibbs.” He waited for the person on the other line. Pausing a moment longer after before pulling Borin into a side room and hitting speaker. “Go, McGee.

_“All the tests came back. We even asked Ducky to take a look. It was an accident boss. The fisherman left the man for dead on the beach and he died of suffocation from the water already in his lungs.”_

Gibbs hung up the phone. “Looks like we can actually enjoy our evening them.” He offered his hand back to Borin.

Borin took it, an almost proud smile on her face. “I’m afraid to ask what that dance was then.” They shared a laugh before rejoining the party.


	41. Fork in the Road

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> McGee and Gibbs share a moment of understanding over the strange events that had occurred at McGee's apartment. The strain is evident to both of them and McGee had to make a choice. He just doesn't know what to believe. Kate Lives?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The theme is Fork in the Road  
> Featured Character(s): McGee, Gibbs

Things had felt uneasy since the day McGee had come home to that strange message. He found himself checking over his shoulder more. Little things caught his attention or made him change his course of action. But only one part of his changed behaviour bothered him; he had begun to leave his door unlocked. 

It shouldn’t have mattered. He didn’t have any enemies, or at least, none that he was consciously aware of. And he sure as hell didn’t tell his friends. He could imagine the scolding he would get from Ziva or Tony. Abby would bite his head off. But, perhaps, Gibbs would understand. 

After all, he was the only one who knew. Not about the door, but rather, the reason behind it. He was the one who said to keep it a secret. McGee admitted that he didn’t believe his boss had any ulterior motive about the issue. No, he was just being cautious. 

“Can I have a word, McGee?” Tim looked up to see his boss folding his glasses and raising from his desk. The action and low light from the desk lamps made the grey man look old, something that did not suit him the least.

Tim rose and followed Gibbs, to his surprise, to the conference room. “Is something wrong, Boss?” He was concerned for the man. Everyone always was. There was something in the way that Gibbs cared for them all like family that made the thought of losing him one that haunted the darkest of nightmares.

Gibbs shook his head, holding out his hand as a gesture of camaraderie. He took the lead and sat down, pushing out the other chair to make room for the field agent. “Just wanted to talk.” He waited for McGee to sit. There felt like an eternity of silence, both men gazing around the room, before even a breath was taken. “You’ve been distracted since then, Tim.”

McGee had to take a moment to process. Gibbs never called him ‘Tim’, despite it being his name. He admitted that he would have gawked more if it had been Tony, but Gibbs was still shocking. “I-I-I, well, I.” He stopped, taking the moment to compose himself and watch his boss. “You’ve been distracted, too. Maybe we should…” He didn’t know if just saying it was still taboo.

Gibbs gave his head a good shake. Placing his palms on the table to aid him in getting up as he walked over to get coffee. “I just don’t want to think that it was really her, Tim.” He cast a scared reflection in the window.

McGee watched as Gibbs looked passed his own reflection, out over the navy yard. He could tell that his boss was looking but not seeing; that there was a part of him that was lost in another time. “Why not?”

Gibbs’ brow furrowed and he turned back to face McGee with anger replacing the fear on his face. “Because I don’t want all we’ve done in her memory to be for waste. If she weren’t gone don’t you think she would come back! She wouldn’t just leave us, McGee!”

Tim could hear the tears in Gibbs’ voice. “I’m-” He caught himself before shaking it off. “I’m sorry, Boss,” he said clearly.

Gibbs threw his coffee against the wall. “Yeah? So I am McGee! I’m sorry that Kate died protecting me! I’m sorry that we want her back so badly that we’re willing to forget everything we’ve been through with Ziva!” He slammed his hand against the table. “I’m sorry-” he choked. He choked on his tears. “I’m so sorry.”

McGee reached out and gently patted the older man’s shoulder. “I know, Boss. We all are.”

\--+--

McGee had somehow convinced Gibbs to go for a drink after their little heart to heart. There was surprisingly little drinking involved, but, instead, a whole lot of remembering. Tim found in interesting that Gibbs made it a point to remember the bad along with the good. It made the evening a little bitter sweet, but it also made the awkward man feel closer to his father figure.

Tim twisted his door knob, feeling slightly alarmed at the resistance it gave. “Did I lock it?” He began digging through his pockets for his key. The last time he remembered actually locking his door was the morning ‘she’ had been there. 

Panic starting to rise in his chest as his hand wrapped around the key and rather ungracefully flung it from his pocket. He stooped to pick it up and quickly jiggled it in the lock. He opened the door and rose from his crouched position in almost the same movement. Inside the apartment, closing the door behind him, he didn’t see anything immediately out of place.

A moment of breathing to calm himself and clear his mind led him to realize that the lights were on. He looked down as he kicked something. A dainty, yet unremarkable, high heel lay knocked to the side from where his foot made contact. He couldn’t tell if the feeling brewing in his stomach was excitement or fear.

“Hello?” he called tentatively into his own apartment. “Come on, McGee,” he berated himself under his breath. “Man up.” His hand flew to his gun as he heard shuffling coming from his bedroom. “Federal Agent! Come out where I can see you!” 

Some more shuffling and a muffled curse followed before a small, female, figure emerged from his bedroom dressed in his NCIS hoodie. “I…I thought you’d be later.”

McGee’s jaw hit the floor. Actually, his whole body did. He just couldn’t believe what he was seeing. And a part of him understood what Gibbs had meant about not wanting to believe. But now he was faced with the facts and had a decision to make. He would just have to wait until he regained consciousness.


	42. Start

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ziva goes undercover to break up a smuggling ring thought to be connected to a marine's death. She gets hurt in the process and ends up in the hospital. Tony visits her and they talk about life and knowing themselves.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The theme is Start  
> Featured Character(s): Ziva, Tony

Ziva touched the clips on either side of her head, taking a deep breath she exited the ladies room and returned to her team. “Well?” She held her hands open to indicate that she wanted an opinion of her new appearance. Abby had spared no expense in dressing up the female agent. Ziva’s hair was curled and hung down her back, the front being pinned in place by sweet little clips. Her make-up was done up in soft colours. She was wearing a simple baby doll dress in a deep blue. 

Tony’s eyes trailed all the way down to her sea green pumps. “Wow. You clean up nicely.” Despite the compliment, his tone made Ziva want to punch him.

Before she got the chance, Gibbs was in her field of vision holding an ear piece and clutch. “You know your legend, Ziver?” 

She pushed the ear piece into place. “My name is Phoebe Arango. I work for Inter Expo as a transport liaison.” She took a breath, trying hard not to speak to quickly. “I have been working for Inter Expo for 7 years and can handle anything.”

“Good.” Gibbs nodded, clasping her shoulders and looking her in the eyes. “We won’t be able to help you if something goes wrong. Your cover is your most valuable asset.”

Ziva nodded in agreement, determination setting in on her face. “Then I am off.”

\--+--

Tony ran down the halls of the hospital before turning sharply mid-step into room 316. “Ziva!” He was met with the sight of his partner sitting in bed, look around quizzically like she had had too much to drink. “Oh thank god! You have me worried.” He took her hands and sat on the edge of the bed. 

She cocked her head to the side and furrowed her brow in confusion. “Do I know you?” She studied their hands, intertwined, but remained still otherwise. “My name is Phoebe.”

Tony shook his head, giving her hand a little squeeze. “No, no. Your name is Ziva. Phoebe was the name you took to go undercover to bust up a smuggling ring,” he half mumbled the words, worried at what her reaction might be.

He peeked up to see her eyes had gone wide. “I was undercover to stop a smuggling ring? Am I like a super hero or something?” She seemed honestly intrigued with the prospect. 

Tony rubbed his forehead with his free hand. “Not exactly. So, you don’t remember me?” He gave her a half smile as if the change in expression would jolt her memory.

She shook her head innocently. “No, sorry. I don’t even know my last name.” She seemed so gentle and innocent, it was jarring. “But maybe I can guess it. The nurse says I’m good at guessing.” 

Tony raised an eyebrow. “Really?” He laughed a little at the idea of Ziva being good at guessing games. 

She nodded enthusiastically, clearly missing his sarcasm. She leaned forward to fill his view, looking him up and down and studying his face. “Your name is Tommy. No! Wait! Tony!” She smiled in triumph at his started expression. “I’m right! Tell me about yourself, Tony. I don’t know anything about myself so I can’t offer the same courtesy.”

Tony slammed his fist into his open palm as if suddenly understanding something. “That’s what’s different! You’re using contractions. They don’t suit you one bit.” He waited as she processed that before continuing. “Anyway, I don’t really have anything to tell. It’s weird re-introducing myself to you in the first place. I mean, despite us being partners, we don’t really know that much about each other. And I never really tell much to the people who should know…” His expression became distant as he realized how much he really did keep to himself. 

“I think,” Ziva said slowly, taking Tony’s hand back in both of hers, “that you should speak openly to people. Let them get to know you how you know you. You know me, and yet you can’t tell me how to be me.” She thought for a moment, focusing on his hand. She turned it over and traced the lines on his palm. “Life is short. And there are any number of things that can change how you live it. You cannot be afraid of how someone will take something because one day they might be gone.” She looked up at him with a bright smile. He noticed her clips where still in place. “Let’s start over.” She released his hand and extended hers. “Hi, I’m Phoebe.”

Tony scrutinized her hand for a moment before taking it and smiling at her. “Hi, Phoebe, I’m Tony.”


	43. Nature's Fury

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A storm is brewing over NCIS Headquarters and it's impacting the moods of everyone.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The theme is Nature's Fury  
> Featured Character(s): Ziva, Tony, McGee, Palmer, Abby, Ducky

“It doesn’t look like the storm is going to be letting up any time soon,” McGee said from his monitor. He was checking the news, noting that it called for the storm to last through the night. 

“You could just look out the window, McGee. It would have given you the exact same information,” Ziva called over a little testily. 

Both sets of eyes slowly crossed the room to their fearless leader, sitting at his desk with a coffee perched before him. He looked up, feeling the gazes trained on him. “What?” He looked to McGee who had the face of someone who was about to tattle. Then he looked to Ziva who looked like she wanted to punch McGee. He sighed and waved his arms towards him. “Campfire, come on.”

Both agents sighed and moved their chairs around the team leader’s desk. The elevator dinged open and Abby and Palmer walked out and over to the campfire. “I see we have good timing,” Palmer chimed in an annoyingly cheerful manner.

Abby tapped his arm and gave him a look that indicated to tone down the enthusiasm. “Ducky’s gonna join us in a minute. He just wanted to make sure autopsy was safe from flooding.” She perched herself on the edge of Ziva’s desk, Palmer standing awkwardly beside her.

“You should stay up here with us, Autopsy Gremlin. We don’t want you getting wet.” Despite the mocking words, Tony’s intentions seemed sincere. He nodded to his old desk, indicating Jimmy should take the chair and wheel it over.

“I hope I haven’t missed anything, Anthony,” Ducky called in his usual manner as he joined the group. “I wanted to be certain that we would not have any unpleasant surprises in the morning.” He chuckled at the thought of something more unpleasant than a cold storage full of dead bodies.

“Nope. You haven’t missed anything, Duck. None of us have.” He indicated the gloomy mood that seemed to seep from everything in the usually bright environment. 

“But we are all missing something,” Ziva said quietly, she was looking down at her hands as they fidgeted around in her lap. She looked up to see everyone staring at her expectantly. “Gibbs.”

Abby sighed heavily and jumped down from the desk. “We’re missing a lot of things then. It’s not just Gibbs. We’re missing Kate, and Director Shepard, and Agent Pachi. Not to mention Gerald and Coronal Mann. There are a lot of people who aren’t here anymore. Because they left or were taken from us. Let’s face it; we all knew Gibbs was gonna have to retire sooner or later. He’s…he’s getting old. And we’d all rather see him retire than die, right?” She looked around at the unanimous nod of agreement. “Sometimes we just have to accept that life goes on. We have to let nature take its course.”

A flash of lighting followed quickly by a crash of thunder stopped anyone from saying more. A few minutes passed, filled with the light and sound of nature, before Palmer spoke up. “Looks like nature may be angry with us. Or someone.” He tilted his head to the side as he pondered an idea out loud. “Hey, maybe it’s a sign. Like, the storm out there is analogous to the storm we all feel in here. Think about it; we are letting the storm build and brew by accepting that things are how they are and can’t be help. And maybe the moment we decide we can do something about it is when the sky will clear and show us the rainbow leading the way.”

Abby smiled, but tears were forming at the corners of her eyes and the smile was distorted and heartbreaking. “I really don’t want him gone, guys.”

“I believe Mr. Palmer is right,” Ducky said calmly, though he too looked a bit shook up. “We all feel Jethro’s absence. What’s stopping us from bringing him back?”

“Wanting him to be happy,” McGee said sadly.

“Keeping him safe,” Ziva added, back to looking at her hands.

“Showing him he doesn’t have to worry about us. That we’re gonna be okay when he’s really gone.” Tony’s voice broke as he said ‘gone’.

Ducky sighed. “In all the years I’ve known him, Jethro has always been happiest when he is looking after the people he cares about. Even when they don’t need looking after.” His words didn’t seem to inspire anyone, so he took a different tactic. “Tony, what would Caitlin say if she saw you like this?”

Tony jumped a little. “Kate?” He thought for a minute, tapping his chin with his index finger. “She would…she would tell me to grow up and tell Gibbs how I felt. She would say that…that stewing in it would get me nowhere, and that I needed to come clean or it will haunt me forever.”

Ducky nodded. “Good. Now, Ziva. What do you think Ari would tell you about that posture and your current demeanor?” 

Ziva looked at Ducky in bewilderment. “He would...” she swallowed, trying to moisten her throat. “He would tell me to hold my head up. That the moment my chin falls I am just hiding from myself.” She paused, looking right at Ducky with near tears in her eyes. “He would also tell me not to screw up everything he got for me by letting Gibbs get away.” She tried to laugh to hide the first choke of a sob.

Ducky nodded again, turning to Abby. “Abigail, I’m sure Director Shepard would have had some words for you.”

Abby nodded in response, pressing her lips together. “Yeah, but first she would give me a hug and tell me that it’s okay to cry. She’d say we’d get him back.” The tears began to smudge her black make up. 

Ducky finally turned to McGee. “Timothy,” he paused, choosing his words, “you know what Jethro would tell you to do.”

McGee smiled grimly. “Yeah,” he nodded, “he’d say grab your gear.”


End file.
